With You In My Head
by CherrybombLuv
Summary: Never allowing herself to process her parent's deaths, Bella struggles through life with only college to keep her mind busy until a guest speaker in one of her classes takes over her every waking thought. Will Bella let down her guard & start living life?
1. Chapter 1: A Different Summer

I thought going off to college for four years would be great. And it was, until I realized I had to come home every summer, back to my domineering aunt. I was so happy that I was in my final year of school—graduating when I was seventeen was the best decision I had ever made—and hoped that this summer, the summer I was twenty, would be different. I was going to take classes at the community college as usual but besides that, I vowed to try something different.

Aunt Tess wanted chicken my first day back that summer and I tried to make it as healthy as possible per her request, with lots of vegetables on the side, but I was sure she'd request gravy. She was terrible at sticking to her diet. I found the low fat kind and made that, leaving the box of the regular kind on the counter so she'd think she was eating the fatty kind.

Dinner was ready by six and Aunt Tess came in just as I was pulling out the bread from the oven. She didn't even greet me when she came in.

"My car could use a wash," she said in her high-pitched voice; I would compare her to Barbie except she didn't sound sweet. She didn't look at me as she threw her keys on the coffee table and kicked off her heels.

"Sure, I'll do that tomorrow," I mumbled and rolled my eyes as I bent to pick up her shoes and put them away in the closet.

"Call the boys for dinner," Aunt Tess said in an exasperated voice, grabbing a can of Diet Coke out of the fridge. I saw her glance at the gravy on the counter.

I didn't even have to talk to my cousins George or Simon to tell them dinner was ready. I knocked on their doors and they came out seconds later, making a beeline for the kitchen. I hovered in the hallway, waiting for them to fill their plates with food—George always made a plate for his mother—and then tip-toed back into the room. I piled what little food was left on my own plate, grabbed a water bottle out of the fridge and quickly made my way back down to the basement which served as my room.

After being home for two weeks, it was time to start my classes. The first day was always the easiest. Both teachers spent an hour on the syllabus alone and the next forty-five minutes on introductions. As usual, I stumbled through my name and my major—I was an English major, though I knew I couldn't do much with it—and nearly missed the chair when I sat back down.

I am just so graceful.

Human Geography was on Tuesdays at two in the afternoon and Biology was Thursdays at one. Snacks were allowed in Geography so I fell into the habit of grabbing a bag of chips or a candy bar and a drink from the gas station to take with me up the hill to the community college.

On the third week of classes, I was actually early to Biology for once; I grabbed a seat near the back of the room and opened up my textbook to check my homework.

I was alone for only a few minutes before someone else came in. I didn't even look up as the person sat down at the desk next to me.

"Hi there!" said a cheerful voice next to me. It took me a moment to realize she was talking to me.

"Oh, hello," I mumbled pathetically.

I was sitting next to Bridgette, a real pretty red-head that must have been a cheerleader in high school. She still had roundness to her cheeks, suggesting that she was barely eighteen, and her nose was covered in freckles. She wore her smooth hair in a high ponytail and though she wore make-up, she wore natural colors that accented her flawless skin and perfect smile.

"I'm Bridgette," she said brightly, sticking out a well-manicured hand. I noticed that she sat extremely straight in her chair; I always slouched, hopeful that no one noticed me. "You're Bella, right?"

"Right," I answered, shaking her hand awkwardly.

"How are you doing in the class?" she asked me kindly.

"Oh, uh, not bad," I answered, already wary that I was about to just get used for my knowledge in the class rather than as an actual friend.

"It seems pretty easy so far," Bridgette said, pulling out a nail file and daintily shaping her already perfect nails. "I wonder when the first test is."

"It's in two weeks," I answered, glancing at the syllabus tucked into the back of the textbook.

"Oh, that's right!" Bridgette laughed. She looked around the room as a few more people milled in and then turned to me with a bright smile. "So, do you have a boyfriend?"

"A boyfriend?" I asked in a high-pitched voice, feeling my face turn hot. I looked down at my book, letting my hair swing forward to hide my red face. "No, I don't."

"That's surprising," Bridgette said quietly, sounding genuinely surprised.

"W-what about you?" I asked hesitantly, sensing she was waiting for me to ask.

"Oh!" She giggled loudly, flashing her bright, white teeth again. "I'm not sure. I mean, there is this one guy that I was hoping but… yeah, nothing going on. Yet."

She gave me a mischievous smile. I ran my hand nervously through my hair and gave her a small smile back.

The class was full by then and the teacher came in soon after. Thankfully, Bridgette didn't ask me for any answers during class and took notes just as diligently as I did. When class was over, she gave me a cheerful goodbye, blinding me with her smile again, and took off. I stared dumbly after her, wondering if it was a joke or something that she talked to me. I wasn't sure why but something didn't seem quite right. Maybe I just wasn't used to people actually being friendly.

Bridgette sat with me every week after that. She liked to tell me stories about her friends and the stupid things they did or some of the things that they did that she wanted to copy—I managed to talk her out of a nose ring after he best girl friend got one.

One afternoon after class, Bridgette asked me to get a coffee with her at the campus café. I agreed but when she wasn't looking I checked my watch. I had about a half hour before I needed to be home to make dinner.

Sitting in the warm sun outside the café, Bridgette chattered happily about anything and everything. I didn't say much; I didn't have any similar stories to tell. After she told me all about the movie she got to see that weekend, we lapsed into silence. I could tell she liked to talk; she quickly started fidgeting with her coffee cup before she started up again.

"You haven't told me anything about yourself," she said sounding slightly annoyed. "What kinds of things do you like to do?"

"Oh, I'm pretty boring," I admitted in a small voice. "Mostly I just read and… hang around the house."

"That's cool," Bridgette nodded. "Do you still live with your parents?"

"No… they died when I was fourteen," I answered. I was used to people asking and tried to keep the sadness out of my voice but it never worked. I looked down at the tabletop, trying to think of something else to say. "I live with my aunt and cousins. It's not so bad."

"Aw, I'm so sorry!" Bridgette squealed, putting her hand on my arm. I looked up to see a look of genuine remorse on her face.

"Honestly…" I said quietly, wondering if I was about to give away too much. But I had made a vow—this summer would be different in some way. Why not start with opening up to someone new? I took a deep breath. "Honestly I don't think I ever fully got over it. It was kinda a freak thing. They died during a robbery at the convenience store they were at."

It was silent for a few moments as we quietly sipped our coffees. _Way to kill the mood, Swan,_ I thought sourly to myself.

"So, do you have any other plans for tonight?" she said brightly, smoothly changing the subject and pulling a quick smile onto her face.

"Tonight? Not really—" I stopped short. I looked at my watch and gasped. "Aw crap, I'm late!"

I jumped up from the table, grabbing my backpack and nearly empty coffee cup.

"Wait, late for what?" Bridgette asked, her perfectly shaped eyebrows pulled down in confusion.

"I gotta…uh…" I didn't want to tell her that I was supposed to go home and be the servant girl but I didn't know what else to say; I was a terrible liar. "I have to cook dinner for my aunt. I was supposed to be home forty-five minutes ago!"

I started to rush away from the table but Bridgette leapt up and grabbed my hand.

"Here's my number," she said, scribbling on my hand with a pen. "Call me whenever you want."

She gave me one of her dazzling smiles and I couldn't help but smile back. I wasn't sure what to say, though, so I just nodded and hurried down the cement steps and ran out to the parking lot.

There weren't many cars in the lot so it was easy to spot mine—not that it'd really be all that hard if the lot were full.

I drove my dad's old Mustang but it looked nothing like the hot rods we used to check out at car shows. It was a 1979 model and looked more like a Buick than a Mustang. It was boxy, with a bad paint job—we had started to change it from gray to blue but never got to finish—and an ugly red interior. The heater was broken, the windshield wipers only had two settings—on and off—and if it was cold out, forget about getting it started in one try.

I got home as fast as I could and breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that Aunt Tess's car wasn't at the curb. I still rushed inside to see if she had already come and gone, leaving me a nasty note behind.

The house was dead quiet and dark. I felt along the wall, found the light switch and flipped on the living room light. The house seemed empty.

I walked slowly into the kitchen, starring around the room, still trying to spot a note of instructions. I didn't see anything but my eyes fell on the answering machine set on the side table by the couch. The red light was blinking, indicating that there was a message.

I crossed the room and pressed the play button.

"George, Simon, Ben and I are out to dinner," came Aunt Tess's nasally voice out of the machine; as always, she didn't bother with a greeting. "We'll be home late. Do the laundry or something."

There were no other messages on the machine so I erased the one from Aunt Tess and heaved another sigh of relief.

"All alone for the night," I said happily, flopping down onto the couch.

I sat still for all of thirty seconds before I stood again and went to the laundry room set into the garage.

"Might as well get the laundry started," I said aloud to myself, opening the garage door. "Because I'm sure—"

I finished my sentence with a groan. Laundry was the one thing that Aunt Tess requested I be asked to do and she always waited until she had just about nothing left to wear to ask.

The load—or rather loads—was worse this time. Not only did Tess fail to ask me sooner but so had the boys. Three tall laundry baskets were overflowing with dirty clothes—nothing sorted, of course. It looked like I was in for the night whether I wanted to be or not.

Once I started the wash, I sat on the couch and flipped on the TV. I surfed the channels for a few minutes but I watched so little TV these days that nothing interested me and I turned it off quickly. I sat quietly, listening to the washer thumping in the next room, eating my pathetic dinner—a sandwich. When I was done I brushed the crumbs off my lap but paused when I saw something on my palm.

It was Bridgette's number. I had almost forgotten that she had given it to me.

I stared at it for nearly a minute, biting my lip. Should I call her? What would I say? I laughed darkly, picturing it in my head.

_Hi, Bridgette._

_Hi, Bella, what do you need?_

_Nothing, just sitting in an empty house like a loser with nothing better to do so I thought I'd call you._

_Oh, how sad. Well, I'm very busy brushing my hair a hundred times and looking in the mirror, telling myself how beautiful I am so I can't talk now. Bye!_

As soon as I thought this, I felt bad. Bridgette seemed nice enough so why was I picturing her doing such vain things? Sure, she was perfect looking but that could just be good genes…

Right?

I decided that if she gave me her number then it meant she really did want me to call if I could. What's the worst that could happen? She'd say she was busy. Surely she wouldn't laugh at me when I told her how dismal my life at home was. Not that I'd give her _all_ the details.

I took a deep breath and grabbed the cordless phone sitting next to the answering machine. I dialed the number, calling her cell, not giving myself anymore time to think about what I was doing but all the time knowing how sad it was that I had to work up the courage to just call someone I had been talking to for weeks.

The phone rang six times; I wondered, perhaps a little hopefully, that she wouldn't answer. But just as I was about to hang up, she picked up.

"Yes, hi, hello!" Bridgette answered breathlessly.

"Bridgette? It's Bella." I cringed; why did I have to sound so unsure of myself?

"Oh, hey!" she answered brightly. "I thought you would be busy cooking dinner."

"Turns out my aunt and cousins decided to go out," I answered, scrunching up my nose, trying to tell the truth without sounding too pitiful. "So I'm just… stuck at home… doing the laundry."

I hoped desperately that she wouldn't realize that I was uninvited to dinner and being forced to do everyone else's laundry. I waited for her to figure out, holding my breath.

"That's too bad," she said sincerely. "I'm sorry I kept you out. Guess they thought you had other plans?"

"Yeah, I think so," I answered quickly, seizing her excuse. "I don't mind though… Gives me a chance to catch up on homework."

"I _should_ be doing homework," Bridgette said grumpily. "But I'm locked out of the house. I forgot my key…again. My neighbor has a spare but he isn't home. I was trying to get the kitchen window open but my dad locked it."

"Oh, I'm sorry," I answered, wondering if I'd be able to do anything to help. I doubted it but I offered anyways. "What can I do?"

"Nothing, really. My parents will be home in a couple hours." Bridgette sighed heavily and then continued in a bright tone. "Hey, can I come over? Sounds like you're pretty bored over there."

Bridgette laughed, obviously teasing. I gave a small, nervous laugh, running my hand through my hair.

"Yeah pretty bored," I said weakly.

"So… Can I come by?"

I bit my lip, thinking fast. Tess and the boys wouldn't be home for a while, I was sure of that, but what would happen if they did and found me hanging out with a girlfriend? I shook my head quickly, knowing I was being silly. There was absolutely no reason why I couldn't have a friend over—not that I ever had—and I was doing just what she asked anyways.

"Sure," I answered as cheerfully as I could but still nervous. I gave her my address and she assured me she'd be over within a few minutes.

Just as I was throwing a bag of popcorn into the microwave, there was a knock on the door. I hurried to answer it—once again tripping over my own feet—but realized as soon as I got to the door that I was a little too quick in answering. I took a deep, steadying breath and waited for Bridgette to knock again. When she did, I plastered what I hoped wasn't too eager of a smile on my face and opened the door.

"You are a total lifesaver!" Bridgette exclaimed, sweeping past me like she'd been coming over for years. It didn't bother me but did take me a little off guard as she made her way to the couch and sat next to my books.

"No problem," I answered shakily, closing the door and taking a seat next to her, feeling completely stupid as I tried to mimic the way she comfortably curled her long legs underneath herself.

"I mean, I was all for waiting for my neighbor to get home," Bridgette giggled, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "But I really do need to study."

I gave Bridgette a questioning look, totally confused as to why she would giggle about her neighbor. With no more prompting but my stare, she launched into her story.

"Okay, so I've lived next to this _hot_ guy for years," she said excitedly. "But he's never looked at me in _that_ way. See, he's a few years older so it wasn't even legal until a few months ago."

She giggled madly again and I gave a small smile. I heard more words like "hot" and "gorgeous" to describe the neighbor but she didn't actually give a name or a real description of his appearance so I soon found myself spacing out. It was hard to keep up with how fast she talked but she didn't seem to need much from me except for a few mumbled responses.

After Bridgette was done gushing about her crush, we shared a bowl of popcorn while we quizzed each other for the upcoming test we had. I had to excuse myself a few times to work on the laundry but Bridgette just followed me and leaned against the doorway to the garage, chatting nonstop. I was waiting for her to ask why I was folding clothes that obviously didn't belong to me but she was too caught up with her own voice.

In the end, the evening turned out better than I hoped and, as if she was sensing my anxiety as it got later, Bridgette left just before Tess called to tell me she was on her way home. It would take them an hour to get home so I took my time putting everyone's clothes away and then made my way down to my room.

The following Thursday, just as I was about to leave for class, the phone rang. I answered it wearily, fearing Tess would give me a horrendous chore to complete after class. She had been in a particularly bad mood that morning before work; I didn't know why. Luck was with me and it was Bridgette.

"Hey, Bella, it's me," Bridgette said, sounding terrible.

"Hey, what's wrong? You sound terrible."

"Yeah, I'm sick," she answered hoarsely. "Could you take notes for me?"

"Yeah, of course," I assured her before telling her I hoped she felt better and hurrying out the door; I was late for Biology now.

I let the teacher, Mr. Martin, know that Bridgette would be absent that day and took my seat at the back of the class. I took out my textbook to look over what we'd be covering that day. I was halfway through starting the introduction to the chapter when Mr. Martin cleared his throat, signaling that class was beginning.

"Good afternoon, everyone," he said loudly. "We have a special guest today. Please welcome EMT Edward Cullen."

There was a polite smattering of applause and I looked up to see someone dressed in all navy blue with a blue baseball cap with EMT stitched in red across the front stand up and take his place next to Mr. Martin, raising a hand in greeting. I could see messy bronze colored hair peeking out from under his hat. He had broad shoulders and a very square jaw covered in a bit of stubble. He smiled crookedly and even from the back of the room, I could see his green eyes sparkle. I couldn't help but notice how very good-looking he was—I swear, he looked like a male model—so I looked down at my book so I didn't look like I was staring unnecessarily.

"Now, I know this isn't a health class," Mr. Martin continued. "But after my brief encounter with a choking woman in a restaurant, I decided it would be a good idea to introduce us all to the art of CPR."

Mr. Martin chuckled and gestured to EMT Edward; Edward grabbed what I thought was a student out of one of the front row chairs that turned out to be a badly dressed CPR dummy.

I didn't pay strict attention to the tutorial—I was already a certified "life saver"—but I noticed that every once in a while, when Edward leaned over the dummy to demonstrate that his eyes would flash up in my direction. Each time he did, I hid my eyes behind my book. Mr. Martin didn't notice my inattention, too swept up in the lesson himself, but Edward seemed to notice. Every time I cast my eyes downward, I thought I saw him smile that sly crooked smile again.

When Edward had everyone in the class take turns giving the dummy mouth to mouth—a few of the boys snickered when it was their turn—Mr. Martin swept the room, asking a few people questions to make sure we were listening. When he reached my desk, he looked down at me with a slightly disapproving frown.

"Ms. Swan," he said in a stern voice. "Is there any reason why you're reading the textbook and not joining in?"

"I'm already certified," I answered in a small voice. When Mr. Martin continued to look at me disbelievingly, I dug in my wallet for my Red Cross card.

"Oh, well then please answer the questions at the end of the chapter," Mr. Martin said reluctantly after handing me back my certification.

When Edward was finished, the class gave him another round of applause, more enthusiastically this time, and he bowed deeply from the waist. Everyone started gathering up their books and bags, a few people approaching Edward to shake his hand or ask him a question. I shoved my textbook back into my backpack, grabbed my paper with the answers for the end of the chapter questions, and made my way to the front of the room, too.

I dropped my work on Mr. Martin's desk and turned to let him know that I did what I was asked. When I looked, however, he was busy describing his experience at the restaurant, gesturing wildly. Edward was listening politely but when I looked in his direction, he caught me looking and gave me a wide smile.

I felt my heart beat faster, my face turning bright red, as my nerves got the best of me. I put my head down and walked swiftly from the room, only glancing back when I reached the door. I thought I saw Edward staring after me, a slightly disappointed look in his emerald eyes.

It was probably my imagination but Edward really did look sorry that he couldn't follow me out of the room. I shook my head once and continued out to my car.

"Wishful thinking," I whispered to myself once I was out of earshot of anyone else. "I'm spending too much time with Bridgette and her stories about her crush."

When I got home, I gave Bridgette a call. I didn't keep her on the phone long—her voice was getting even raspier—and though she was glad that she didn't miss much in the way of Biology, she was disappointed that she didn't get to see the "cute" EMT. These were her words, not mine. I didn't even mention to her that I thought the same thing about him and tried not to even think about how he had looked at me, let alone tell her about it.

The next day, I didn't have anything to do so in the afternoon, I went over to Bridgette's with some chicken soup and cough drops. Her house was across town and twice as big as Tess's. We sat across each other in the living room and watched a couple of girlie movies.

Once again, I lost track of time with Bridgette and had to leave in a hurry. My car took a few tries to get started and I chugged home as fast as I could.

I groaned when I saw Tess's shiny red Mini Cooper parked in front of the house along with a couple of cars I didn't recognize. I grabbed my things and dragged my feet up to the front door.

I turned the handle but found it locked so I reached in my pocket for my key. Just as I was about to put it in the lock, I heard the dead-bolt—which I did not have a key for—turn with a loud click.

I froze with my hand extended toward the lock, confused. As far as I knew, Tess had never locked me out of the house on purpose.

I put my key back in my pocket and raised my hand again. I hesitantly knocked on the door. No one answered so I knocked again, a bit louder.

"Tess?" I called through the wood. "Tess, its Bella. Let me in!"

It was silent for a moment and then I heard the locks turn again.

Tess opened the door just wide enough to stick her blonde head out.

"Why, hello, Bella," she said in a falsely cheery voice. "What can I do for you?"

"Well, I was hoping to come in," I answered, trying my best not to sound too snotty but I was getting seriously annoyed with her; she never got irritated with me without voicing her reasons.

"That's going to be a problem tonight," Tess said, wrinkling her nose and giving me a sickly sweet smile. "You see, I have some potential clients over tonight and since you decided to not come home on time, then you are not welcome to come in."

I felt my breath come out in a gust. I was lost for words. I sputtered incoherently, trying to think of something to say that would get me into the house but nothing popped up but a string of dirty words to call Tess—none of which I'd ever even said aloud, let alone called Tess to her face.

"You can sleep in your car or on the street for all I care," she said acidly, glancing over her shoulder. "Just don't come back tonight."

With that, Tess slammed the door in my face and turned the locks again. I stood for a moment, blinking in a confused way, before turning back to my car. I could hear Tess's fake laugh she used for clients coming from inside the house.

I considered going back to Bridgette's but she wasn't feeling well and I didn't want to explain what happened. I bit my lip, trying to think of my options. I finally remembered that I had opened the window last night to let some cool air into my room and that I had never closed it.

I picked up my purse again, ducked my head to get past the front window and ran in a half-crouch around to the side of the house.

My window was just above my dresser and was level with the ground. It was barely large enough for me to squeeze in through and if I wasn't careful, I'd knock off all the pictures on my dresser, sending them crashing loudly to the floor. Tess had once caught me sneaking in that way when I had forgotten my key and had practically kicked me out again until I reminded her that if I hadn't gotten in then who would cook her breakfast in the morning?

I swung my leg through the window and reached down slowly until my toes found the top of the dresser. I carefully put my other leg through too and balanced myself on the edge of the dresser, catching myself with the edge of the window frame before I fell flat on my back. I heaved a large sigh when I got myself safely onto my soft, green carpet.

I flipped on my lamp and sat down on the edge of my bed, waiting to see if anyone upstairs had heard me. All I could hear was more of Tess's fake laughter followed by the sound of my stomach growling loudly. I hadn't eaten anything since lunch and I was starving. I wondered if I had anything still stashed in my room.

From under my bed, I pulled out a grocery bag full of snacks—granola bars, chips, crackers, a few candy bars. I dumped them eagerly onto my bed, grabbed the bag of potato chips and tore them open. I ate them greedily, sitting cross-legged on the floor, and grabbed the water bottle I had in my purse.

Once I had polished off the bag, I looked at the clock. It was barely past eight and I had nothing else to do. I didn't feel like reading or listening to music. I really did want a shower but that was out of the question.

I leaned my head back onto my bed and stared at the ceiling. I opened a granola bar and took a bit, chewing slowly. My thoughts wandered to the EMT from yesterday.

I don't know why I thought of him though I was still wondering if he really had been looking at me. Maybe he had been since I was the only person not watching him give his lesson. Perhaps that disappointed look was just because of that. I didn't want to get my hopes up that it was anything more than that.

As far as I knew, no guy had looked at me in any special way. I was too plain, too nerdy to really draw attention. It probably put guys off the way I always had a book in my hand, making me look pretty antisocial, but it was they way I felt most comfortable in public. I carried a book with me everywhere, just in case I had a few boring moments to fill, and most people seemed extremely confused by that.

I jumped up off the floor, suddenly annoyed with myself for just sitting on the floor of my room on a Friday night all because I wasn't allowed in the rest of the house. I had no idea what I should do with myself but I shouldn't be doing this.

I grabbed my purse and hoisted myself out the window again. I sprinted to my car, got in and closed the door behind me as quietly as I could. I rummaged in my purse, gathering up all the change at the bottom, and then started the engine. I cringed at how loud it was and cast a furtive look at the front window. I could see Tess's silhouette behind the curtains, a cocktail glass in her hands. I saw her throw her head back to laugh wildly and felt reassured that she hadn't heard my car start.

I drove to the only privately owned coffee shop in town, glad that it was a Friday night and that they'd be open for a few more hours. It was called South Side Coffee Shop, because of its location in town, and the coffee brewed there was only local blends and was much tastier than any Starbucks coffee I had ever tried.

The shop wasn't too busy but I saw a few regulars hanging out at the tables outside, laughing and smoking. I parked half-way down the street and went inside.

It was warm and cozy inside with only a few of the small, wooden tables occupied. The register counter was set in the middle of the right-hand side wall and I couldn't see who was behind it because the espresso machine was blocking my view. I waved at a couple in the back near the piano that smiled at me politely and stepped up to the counter.

To my surprise, there wasn't anyone there at all but when I looked to my left, just past the bagel display, I saw that the storeroom was open. I leaned over the counter to get a better view into the room and saw a familiar leather jacket hanging on the peg inside the door.

"Hey, Todd!" I called out.

My old friend Todd appeared, dressed in his usual plain white t-shirt and blue jeans, cuffed at the bottom, a smile lighting his face. Todd had his dark hair slicked back as usual, completing his James Dean look, and he patted it habitually when he saw me.

"Hey there, good-looking," he said cheerfully, coming to stand behind the register and placing his hands on the counter. "Where've you been?"

"Ugh, Tess has had me busy all summer, of course," I said, rolling my eyes.

"When are you just going to ditch that—" he cut himself off before he said anything foul, processing my glare. "Sorry, I know why you stay there. Doesn't mean I haven't missed you."

"Yeah, yeah," I said dismissively, waving my hand; Todd winked at me.

Todd and I grew up next to each other. Before my parents had died, we had been best friends but he and I had drifted apart over the years.

He flashed me one of his sly smiles and went to pour me a cup of coffee.

"It's a good thing you're here," Todd said to me over his shoulder as he added milk and sugar to my cup.

"Let me guess," I said, giving a fake sigh and piling my change on the counter to pay for my coffee. "You need me to balance your register."

"You're a mind reader, doll," Todd said, setting my cup down on the counter and giving me another wink. I rolled my eyes again and came around the counter to sit at the only stool behind the register.

I spent the next couple of hours helping out Todd, running the register and chatting easily about school and Tess.

Around nine forty-five, I heard loud footsteps coming across the hardwood floor. I looked up to see a sleek blonde in high heels coming towards the counter. I felt especially grungy around her. While I was wearing a sweatshirt and jeans and my hair probably needed to be brushed, she was wearing a mini-skirt and a strappy tank top even though it was no where near warm enough outside for it. Her ice-blonde hair flowed down her back, almost to her waist.

Before I could ask the girl if she knew what she wanted to order, Todd was right behind me.

"Hey there, sweetheart," Todd said, leaning across the counter.

The girl leaned towards Todd as well and planted her lips on his. I let them have what was basically a make-out session for a good thirty seconds before I sighed and gave Todd's leg a good pinch.

Todd jumped away from the counter. The girl stuck her bottom lip out in a pout; Todd patted his hair and gave a nervous chuckle.

"Bella, this is Sarah," he said, gesturing at the tall blonde.

"Hey, Bell," the girl said in a sing-song voice, pulling out a tube of lip gloss from her hip pocket and applying it heavily to her perfect, pink lips.

"Hey…Sar," I answered uncomfortably, casting my eyes back down to my book.

"So, are we going out tonight?" Sarah asked impatiently. "I wanted to go to Jasper's tonight."

"I'm the only one here," Todd pointed out. "I gotta close up tonight."

"What about _her?_" Sarah asked, acting as though I wasn't sitting right in front of her.

"Chill. She's just helping out," Todd said with a shrug.

I peeked up just in time to see Sarah roll her eyes and cross her arms tightly across her chest. She exhaled in a huff and turned halfway towards the door.

"Well, _I_ don't feel like waiting," she complained. "Jennifer is already over there."

Todd shuffled through the stack of credit card receipts in front of him, keeping his eyes down. I glanced up again at Sarah; she looked furious. She glared down at me and I looked down again, shifting uncomfortably on the stool.

Sarah started tapping her heel and Todd finally set down the receipts.

"I told you," he said irritably. "I have to close up."

"Fine!" Sarah snapped. "I'm going out with Jennifer.

"Alight," Todd said indifferently.

Sarah flung her blonde hair over her shoulder and started to stalk out. Before she had taken two steps, she turned around again, fixing Todd with another pout.

"Will you meet me there when you're off?" she asked sweetly, batting her eyelashes.

"Of course," Todd answered, sounding as though their argument had never happened; I felt my jaw drop open.

Sarah gave Todd an alluring smile and swept from the room. Todd tried to go back to what he was doing but I could see him sneaking a few glances at me, waiting for me start asking questions.

"So…" I said slowly; Todd kept sorting receipts. When he didn't say anything, I continued in a teasing tone. "She seems like a sweet girl."

"Shut up," Todd mumbled, clearly embarrassed.

"No, really," I said eagerly, setting my book aside. "She's a real gem. I bet you even found her at Jasper's!"

Todd knew my distaste for the sleazy bar across the street from the coffee shop. Neither Todd nor I was old enough for it but the owner rarely carded anyone so Todd snuck me in a couple times. I never drank anything but sodas or water there. Todd, on the other hand, usually needed me there to get him home safely.

"Jasper's isn't that bad," Todd muttered. He looked up at me to see my incredulous stare. "Alright, fine," he admitted. "It's a real dive."

"You got _that_ right," I said under my breath, picking up my book again.

Todd was awkwardly silent for a few moments.

"What did you think of her, really?" he finally asked in a low voice.

"I really don't know," I shrugged. "She doesn't seem like your type. She was pretty bossy."  
"Yeah, I know," he sighed. "She was pretty nice when I first met her, though."

"Were you drunk?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Maybe," he said shiftily and I laughed.

"As long as she doesn't break your heart," I said in a mock sorrow voice, putting a hand over my own heart and pretending like I was blinking back tears.

"Alright, enough about Sarah," Todd laughed, giving my shoulder a little shove. "I'm going to pull in the outside tables. Let's close up."

I counted the register one last time and jotted down the amount in a black ledger. Todd went around the counter and outside; I could hear him chatting with the few people still socializing outside as he carried in the metal lawn chairs and tables.

"So, anything new with you in the guy department?" Todd asked later as we cleaned the wooden tables inside the café.

"About as much as usual," I mumbled, thinking of that EMT again. I didn't want to mention this to Todd either but he knew me so well, he could tell I was avoiding something.

"What's his name?" he asked with a wide grin; I threw my dirty cleaning rag at him. He caught it easily before it hit him in the face. "What? I was just wondering if I knew him!"

"I'm sure you don't," I said sharply. "And even if you did, it doesn't matter. He's not interested in me."

"Oh puh-lease!" Todd said, rolling his eyes and shaking his head. "Plenty of guys have shown interest in you, you're just too oblivious to notice."

I shrugged, hoping he would drop it. We cleaned in silence and after I put a few chairs upside down on the tables, I turned to Todd again.

"Listen, it was great seeing you," I said, wiping my hands on the back of my pants and reaching behind the counter for my purse. "But I really should get going."

"Gotta climb back through your window before the warden notices you're gone," Todd said with a smirk.

"Oh, hush!" I said, playfully smacking his arm.

Todd grabbed my hand, shoving a couple twenties into it.

"Thank you for helping tonight," he said sincerely, giving me a one-armed hug.

"No problem," I answered, returning the hug. When I pulled away I thought I saw him frown.

When I got home, Tess was still entertaining her guests, laughing even louder than when I had left. She must have had a few more drinks. I slipped in through my window without a sound, closing it firmly behind me. I slipped into a pair of warm sweats before turning out the light and crawling into bed.

It was hard to even think about getting to sleep, and not just because Tess was being so loud. I was thinking about what Todd had said about other guys showing interest in me. I was sure he was just saying that because he was my friend…or was he?

All through elementary school and on to middle school, Todd had always been there for me. He was always there to tell me the truth about something, no matter how difficult it was. Our falling out had happened just before my parents had died and I knew he regretted that so it felt like every chance he got, he would say something nice just to boost my spirits.

So which was it? Was he telling me the truth, the way only he could? Or was he just trying to cheer me up?

I sighed and rolled over so I was facing the wall. I pulled the pillow out from under my head and put it over my ear, pressing it down to muffle the sounds coming from upstairs. I closed my eyes.

And then that EMT's face popped into my head. In my head, he really was looking right at me, his green eyes penetrating my own muddy brown ones, his lips turning up in that sexy crooked smile…

I tried to think of something else besides Edward's good looks and my thoughts wandered to his age. I was sure he was older than me, though he certainly didn't look _old_. He had been so tall and lean but I could tell that under his EMT uniform he was quite muscled. I remembered seeing his biceps flex as he picked up the CPT dummy…

I groaned and rolled over again, onto my back, pulling the pillow with me and putting it over my face.

I had never been one to lie around, thinking about a boy; I couldn't figure out why I was doing it tonight. Whether or not Edward had been looking at me, I'd probably never see him again so there was no point to even fantasizing about him.

So why was I?

The next few weeks passed without anything exciting happening. Bridgette was feeling better within a week of getting sick and we hung out every few days. At first, she was always trying to get me to confess more about my life but she quickly figured out that I wasn't like that. She slowly started becoming more like me, enjoying moments of silence that, when we first met, she would struggle to fill with idle chatter.

I started getting in the habit of running by the gas station I passed on the way to Human Geography on Tuesdays to get at least a drink. If I had enough money, I'd grab a snack as well so I also tried to make it a habit to help out Todd on the busier nights during the week so that I could make a few extra dollars. I hadn't noticed at first how difficult the summer was coming along when I didn't have a job and steady money coming in so Todd made a deal with the owner of the coffee shop and I started working full shifts on the weekend nights.

One of the times I stopped by the gas station, I noticed a white EMT van sitting in the parking lot. When I came back out, it was gone; I wondered if I was imagining things. I shook my head, amazed at myself for thinking about that EMT yet again.

And I did still think about him, curious—though I tried not to admit it—if I'd see him again. I did live in a pretty small town. But what were the odds of coming across the same EMT unless I was to get seriously hurt? And even if I did get hurt, I didn't have the money to call 911 and get a ride to the hospital. There was no way I'd ask Tess for the money. I'd have to just bleed all over the seats of my Mustang—at least the interior was already red.

Every time I drove by that gas station, I would glance in the parking lot. I was shocked to see the white van back more than once; it must just be a coincidence. One of the times I saw it, though, I got real paranoid and drove all the way into the lot only to find that the van was just an ordinary old, broken down hippie-style van.

"Get a grip, Swan!" I said to myself in the car, leaning my head against the steering wheel. "You're not going to see him again!"

But deep down, I knew I wanted to.

I was surprised when it was already the middle of the summer. Bridgette was becoming a real good friend and Todd and I were hanging out more than we ever did when I was back in town. I was happy about this but also a little curious. What about his girlfriend? Every time I'd ask where Sarah was and why he wasn't hanging out with her, though, he'd quickly change the subject.

One Sunday, Tess was being her usual charming self so I left for work early, which turned out to be a good thing.

I came into the shop, expecting to see Todd busy behind the counter, but I received a shock when I saw someone else there. He looked familiar, one of the regulars, but I didn't know his name. He was a heavyset guy with dark hair that swung into his eyes and he always wore all black, no matter the weather.

"Hey, where's Todd?" I asked, coming up to the counter.

"No idea," the guy said, shrugging his shoulders. "He asked me to cover a quick break for him and hasn't been back since. It's been at least an hour."

"Weird…" I mused, trying to think of where he would be. "Well, I hope he's alright."

"Don't worry," he chuckled. "I think he said something about Sarah."

"Figures," I mumbled and then continued at a normal volume. "Why don't you get yourself a cup of coffee, on the house?"

"Cool!"

We exchanged places and after he got himself a cup of coffee, the guy went back outside to his friends. I got to work making fresh pots of coffee and grinding more beans for later. I couldn't help glancing at the door every few minutes, waiting for Todd to come strolling in—possibly with a few new hickeys on his neck—smiling like an idiot. I tried calling his phone a few times but it went straight to voicemail every time, meaning his phone was either dead or turned off.

The later the evening got, the more worried I felt. Luckily, the shop closed at eight on Sundays. It was a real slow evening so I started the end of the night cleaning routine early and had the doors closed and locked at five to eight.

I went to the curb outside of the coffee shop and looked up and down the street. I spotted Todd's truck parked halfway down the block but didn't see him anywhere. I frowned and fidgeted with my keys, wondering what I should do.

"You looking for Todd?" a deep voice asked.

I turned with a start to see a guy name Jeremy standing next to me. Jeremy was a few years older than me but a little slow. He liked to walk around town all day with a backpack on his back that I never saw him open. He had stringy blonde hair and was missing a couple teeth but he was a real nice guy.

"Yeah, have you seen him?" I asked, craning my neck to look down the block again.

"He went into Jasper's hours ago," Jeremy answered, as though it was obvious.

"Jasper's, of course," I groaned. "Did he have Sarah with him?"

"Yeah, but she left, like, right away," Jeremy said in his slow drawl.

"Thanks, Jeremy," I said, patting him on the arm. He gave me a nearly toothless smile and ambled off.

I crossed the street to Jasper's. Though it was a Sunday, the windows glowed brightly and there were a handful of cars parked in the small lot next to the bar. I walked up to the front door, ran my hands through my hair a couple of times, and took a deep breath. I always felt nervous when I came in here.

I yanked on the heavy wooden door and entered the dim room.

The second I walked in, a large man blocked my way; I almost ran straight into him. I looked straight up, past his huge belly and his tightly crossed arms, to look at his shiny bald head and severe expression.

"Can I help you, missy?" he asked in a voice so deep it practically shook the floor.

"I-I'm just looking for someone," I stuttered, taking a small step back.

"Do you have ID?" he boomed.

"N-no," I answered. "But I'm not here to d-drink, just to pick up a friend."

The man looked down his nose at me, pursing his lips. I tried to give him a friendly smile. Finally, he took a step to the side and gestured that I could come in; I gave a small sigh.

I glanced around the room, my eyes already adjusted to the strange orange light of the room.

There were a group of men playing pool in the corner by the jukebox that was playing some classic rock off actual vinyl records. They looked up when they saw me, a couple of them smiling and winking in my direction. I tried to ignore them and continued my survey of the room.

At the bar there were two men. One was sitting at the stool farthest from the door, a dark blue baseball cap pulled low over his eyes. He wore dark jeans and a black Dickie's jacket. He cupped his hands lightly around a tall beer glass. I saw him glance once in my direction but he quickly cast his eyes back to his drink.

In the center of the bar, slumped over the counter and surrounded by empty beer glasses, was Todd. He looked fast asleep.

I strode over to the bar with a sigh. I pulled up another stool and sat down next to Todd. I moved a few of the bar glasses out of the way and grabbed his shoulders.

"Todd? Todd!" I shook his shoulders roughly, just about yelling in his ear. Slowly, he lifted his head and looked around with unfocused eyes.

"Todd? C'mon, let's get you home," I said loudly.

"What?" Todd asked dumbly, still looking around like he didn't know where he was or that someone was talking directly to him.

"Todd? It's Bella," I said, putting my hands on either side of his face and turning him to look at me.

"Oh, hey, Bella," he said with a vacant smile. His breath wafted over me and I cringed away from the strong alcohol smell.

"Are you okay?" I asked him, still trying to get him to focus on me.

"Yeah, sure," he said, waving his hand dismissively; I frowned.

"Alright, well, let's get you out of here." I grabbed his hand and threw his arm over my shoulders. I tried to stand but Todd didn't help at all, he just sat there limply.

"Get up, Todd," I grunted, elbowing him in the ribs.

He got to his feet unsteadily, swaying where he stood. I tried to get him balanced but I had horrible balance on my own. I nudged him again, harder this time, and he stood up a bit straighter.

We shuffled our way across the room; I could already feel my back and shoulders compressing painfully. I wrapped my arm tightly around Todd's waist, gripping his t-shirt.

"Why didn't you come back to work?" I grumbled at him. "I was worried. Did something happen?"

"You could say that," Todd answered, slurring his words together; I almost couldn't make out what he was saying. "Sarah broke up with me."

"I'm sorry," I tried to answer sympathetically but I was gritting my teeth together so tightly that I could barely get my own words out. I could feel sweat beading up on my forehead from the effort of pulling him along.

"No you're not," Todd snorted, coming to a stop; he swayed again.

"What are you talking about?" I asked breathlessly, wondering if this was just the liquor talking.

"You're such a tease," Todd said angrily, leaning heavily on my shoulders. "You say you want me to be happy but when then when I find someone, you find so many things wrong with her. And all the while you flirt with me."

"You're not making any sense," I said quietly, trying to understand what he was saying.

"You're such a tease!" he yelled again. "I've liked you for years but every time I make a move…"

Todd shook his head and I attempted to get him moving again.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Todd, let's just—"

"No!" Todd shouted, jerking his arm away from me and shoving my shoulders. "You get all these guys falling at your feet but you don't even notice. Well, here's another one! Take him!"

Todd flung his arms out, rocking back on his heels dangerously.

"Todd, you're just… my friend," I said, bewildered. I backtracked, trying to figure out if he really had ever made a move. I thought we were just really good friends. Was all that extra friendliness actually something more?

"Then quit flirting with me!" he said belligerently, finally overbalancing and falling flat on his face.

"Todd!" I cried out, dropping to my knees. He had passed out again.

"Don't worry about him," a voice above me said. I looked up to see the doorman towering over me. "I'll make sure he gets home okay."  
"Are you sure?" I asked, putting my hand on Todd's shoulder.

"I've done it before," the man chuckled.

I looked down at Todd once more. I felt bad for leaving him here but it looked like I didn't have a choice; there was no way I'd be able to lift him now. I nodded at the doorman and left quickly, before I could change my mind.

I got into my car, parked down the block from the coffee shop, but didn't start it yet. I sat and waited, watching the bar, to see if the man really was going to get Todd home safely. Of course, I wouldn't know if he actually got home alright without following but I figured as long as I saw him leave that I might feel a bit better about abandoning him.

I only had to wait a few minutes before I saw three people leaving the bar—Todd with two men flanking him, the doorman and the man at the bar in the hat.

"Wow, nice guy," I muttered, watching as the three made their way into the parking lot.

I received another surprise as I saw them help Todd into the front seat of an EMT van. I closed my eyes tightly and opened them again, not believing what I was seeing. But the van was still there, slowly pulling out and turning in the direction of Todd's house.

I was tempted to follow, and not because I was worried about Todd. I was overwhelmed with the urge to find out if that EMT was really…

"No, no, no!" I said to myself, pressing my fingertips to my closed eyelids. "It's not the same guy! Quit thinking he's following you! It's just a coincidence… You're just thinking about him so much you want him to be here…"

I sighed heavily and opened my eyes again. I started my car and, without looking in the direction of the van, I drove home.


	2. Chapter 2: Deja Vu

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are owned by Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended with the posting of this story.**

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Chapter 2: Déjà Vu 

**:Bella:**

Monday passed quietly. Tess had stayed home from work, too hung-over from her latest party, and slept most of the day. I didn't have to work that night but wondered if I should go in anyways to look for Todd. I thought about it all morning and finally decided against it. Instead, I called the coffee shop and told the girl on the morning shift to call me if Todd didn't show up.

Todd didn't even bother to call me. I wondered if the anger from the night before had been real. Maybe he had been bottling it up for too long and his breakup with Sarah is what had driven him to drink and then lash out at me, confessing his true feelings.

It wasn't a pleasant thought.

Tess had yet another party that night, which she forced me to cater. I got to bed at three in the morning and ended up being late getting started for the day. I had just enough time to pick up a snack before rushing off to class.

I pulled into the small parking lot of the gas station and parked next to a small, white car. I stepped out into the light breeze, noticing that an EMT van and a big rig were parked across the small lot and that there was only one car at the gas pumps. I glanced at my watch and rushed to the door of the convenience store, trying not to let the presence of the van bother me.

I pulled open the door; a quiet bell sounded from the speaker system. I smiled at the young girl in the blue polo shirt behind the counter and went to the display of chips towards the back of the store.

A guy about my age with blonde hair and big blue eyes was looking at the snacks too. He was wearing a Big 5 Sporting Goods vest and a name tag that said his name was Mike. He smiled at me.

"Hi there!" he said brightly.

"Hello," I muttered, trying to keep my gaze down.

"Lots of uh… chips here, huh?" he asked, trying very poorly to flirt with me.

"Sure," I said, a little sarcastically.

Mike smiled widely at me and I wondered if we had ever met before.

"Well, see ya!" he said cheerfully and left the store.

I grabbed a bag of Doritos and walked to the coolers at the back of the store. I saw the EMT out of the corner of my eye getting a bottle of water out of the cooler next to me.

"Hello," he said politely in a deep voice.

"Uh, hi," I said shyly, opening the cooler in front of me to try and hide my red face behind the frost covered door. That made two guys saying hello to me today, how weird. And this one was an EMT…

I thought I heard him chuckle quietly before he walked away. I let out a long breath.

_Don't get your hopes up,_ I thought sourly to myself. _It's probably not him._

I bet he didn't even remember what I looked like anyways. Though I knew just how he looked…

I sighed heavily, grabbed a bottle of iced tea and turned in the direction of the check-out counter. I was reading the label on the back of the tea when I heard the bell sound in the store again, announcing another customer entering.

A man cleared his throat loudly and I looked up.

Standing at the door was just an ordinary man. His dark blonde hair was a little disheveled, his plain dark t-shirt creased under his dirty black zip-up hoodie but he otherwise looked like any other man. He had his arms straight down in front of him as though he had something in his hands but a shelf of goods blocked my view of him from the chest down so I couldn't see what he was holding. I was automatically nervous because of the way the girl behind the cash register and the man at the ATM machine at the far end of the front counter stared at him with terrified, wide eyes.

"Good afternoon, everyone," the man said in a loud, clear voice. "Please, stay right where you are… and no one will get hurt."

The man smiled a tight smile, making my heart instantly start racing in my chest. I couldn't move even if I wanted to as he turned around, reached up and slid the metal bolt in place at the top of the door to lock everyone inside.

After surveying the few people inside the store, the man turned his attention back to the girl at the counter. My insides turned to ice as he rose what he was holding—a rifle. He pointed it directly at the young blonde check-out girl; she gave a small shriek and then quickly clamped both hands over her mouth. Even from my position at the back of the store, I could see her whole body shaking; her long ponytail was quivering so much that her straight hair looked wavy.

"What's your name, sweetheart?" the man asked, attempting to sound seductive.

The blonde slowly lowered her hands until she revealed her lips. Her mouth opened and closed a few times before she managed to say anything.

"Claire," she managed to squeak out.

"Claire," the man repeated softly. "Is there anyone else in the store, Claire?"

Claire shook her head frantically and the man grinned in a disturbing way.

"Alright, everyone," the man said loudly, lowering the rifle to rest against his hip but still keeping it pointed at the room, "I don't want any trouble, I'm just here to get what I want."

He looked sternly around the room as though challenging someone to cause problems or maybe even to ask what it was that he wanted. No one moved; the air was so still, as if no one was even breathing. I don't think I was.

"You! Name?" he barked, making everyone jump. He was pointing at the man closest to the door—he looked like the truck driver. He was pretty average looking with dark brown, wavy hair and dark eyes. He wore dark jeans and a flannel shirt. If the situation wasn't so stressful, I might have laughed at how stereotypically he was dressed. He even had on a baseball cap with the company's logo on the front.

"Charlie," the trucker said in a gruff voice, his eyes darting around the store.

"Charlie, please shove that bookcase next to you in front of the door," the man said conversationally.

Charlie looked with confused eyes at the old bookshelf he was standing next to. It was about shoulder height with only four shelves of various magazines. It wasn't bolted to the ground or set into the wall; it looked like someone had made it by hand, but not very well.

After hesitating for only a second longer, Charlie braced his shoulder against the side of the bookshelf. With a grating sound, the bookshelf slowly slid across the linoleum until it was blocking the glass-fronted door; no one would be able to see in the store or out. When he was finished, Charlie quickly stood straight again and backed up a few steps. He was breathing hard but I doubt it was from moving the shelf.

"Next, I would like everyone to remove everything electronic from their pockets," the man continued. "Cell phones, pagers, iPods—everything."

I heard everyone in the room start quickly digging through their pockets. I started shaking, worried what would happen when the man found out that I didn't own a cell phone; would he believe me? I dearly hoped that he would.

The man was walking from person to person, holding out a plastic bag. I could hear a faint rustle as each person dropped an item or two into the bag. There was only me and one other person left, the EMT.

"Now, you, sweetheart," the man said, holding the bag out to me.

"I don't have a cell phone," I whispered, not meeting his gaze.

"Really?" he said in puzzled voice. He set the bag of phones and pagers on the floor and shouldered his rifle.

I gasped quietly as the man reached out and patted my pockets. I didn't even breathe as his hands moved to my back pockets. I chanced a glance up at him; his eyes were narrowed slightly. His hands swiftly patted my rear end but he pulled his hand back quickly. He stared down at me for a few seconds longer before nodding once, picking up his bag and moving on to the EMT.

I let out the breath I was holding, but my lungs didn't seem to want to re-inflate properly again.

"Very good," the man said, moving back to the front of the room. "Now, I think everyone just needs to relax. Why don't you all have a seat, right where you are?"

Everyone glanced around at each other before sinking to the floor. I set my snacks on the ground and struggled to bend my knees—they felt hollow and didn't want to move. Slowly, my legs obeyed. I was halfway to the ground when I heard the man speak in that slow, inviting voice again. I froze.

"Claire, my dear," he said; I looked up to see him leaning over the counter towards Claire. "How old are you?"

"Sixteen," Claire said shakily, her eyes still wide and her hands straight down at her sides.

"Oh, what a pity…" the man said. He reached across the counter to trail his finger along Claire's pale cheek. She shuddered but otherwise didn't move.

The man lowered his hand, sighing heavily. I was nearly to the floor when he turned around and looked at me. I froze again, one hand on the floor. His face suddenly split into a grin and he raised his hand again, this time to beckon me forward with one finger.

I nearly fell over. I grabbed the shelf of food next to me and used it to pull myself up. I didn't want to go to this man—he may have meant his smile to be alluring but it just looked creepy—but I knew enough about hostage situations to know that if I could give him what he wanted, to do it. Cooperation was the key to keeping safe.

I walked with shaking legs to the front counter and stopped nearly three feet away from the man. He set his rifle on the counter, not noticing how Claire jumped back with a small squeal, and reached his hand out to me. When I didn't take it, he slowly leaned forward and took my hand. Gently, he pulled me forward until we were inches apart. I could feel my breath starting to come in short gasps and my throat was suddenly feeling dry and constricted.

"What is _your_ name?" the man said softly. When I didn't answer right away, he chuckled. "How silly of me! I should introduce myself, shouldn't I? My name is Daniel Brown. Now, your turn."

"B-Bella Swan," I mumbled, wanting desperately to pull away.

"Bella," Daniel practically purred. "Do you have anyone special in your life, Bella? A boyfriend, perhaps?"

I couldn't summon up the courage to actually say the words, so I just shook my head quickly. He pursed his lips thoughtfully; I wondered why he had asked and what he had wanted to hear.

Daniel's hand slid up to my upper arm. I thought I saw him glance over my shoulder and frown. He left his hand on my arm for a moment but then slowly started gripping tighter. I winced slightly and he raised his other hand to run his finger down my cheek, the way he had with Claire.

"So sorry, but I have to do this," Daniel murmured so quietly that I could barely hear him.

With one swift movement, Daniel shoved me away from him. I flew into the shelf behind me, the metal edges stabbing into my back. I fell to the ground hard, crumpling my left shoulder underneath me. I tried not to make a sound but an involuntary cry of pain escaped my lips as dozens of canned goods tumbled down on top of me. I curled my legs closer to my body and covered my head with my good arm.

When the noise stopped, I heard Daniel pick up his gun again.

"I am _not_ afraid to do whatever I have to do get what I want," he bellowed to the room. "Is that clear?"

The room mumbled in assent.

"I know someone here has a phone still on them," Daniel continued, getting louder. "I heard it beep. Now give it up!"

I peeked out from under my arm in time to see the man in the suit stride quickly forward and place a fancy cell phone in Daniel's outstretched hand. Before he walked away, he threw a quick glance in my direction. I couldn't tell what the look said—it looked slight abashed but also a little disappointed, as though he was upset he had to give up his phone.

I didn't realize that I wasn't breathing right until my head started to spin. I sucked in a deep breath, coughing it out slightly when my lungs wouldn't open right again. I tried to breathe in and out a few times, slowly, and after a few tries, I managed to calm down.

Daniel looked at me with a grimace, turned around and walked behind the counter. He was about to sit down in the chair behind the counter—the one not occupied by a shaking Claire—when a deep voice spoke from the back of the room.

"Please," the voice said, sounding a bit familiar. "Please, let me make sure she's okay. It's my job."

It was the EMT. He spoke in a pleading yet strong voice. Daniel glared at him for a full minute before sighing, rolling his eyes, and gesturing towards me. He sat down heavily in the chair and propped his feet up on the counter.

Heavy steps on the other side of the row next to me made their way to the end of the shelves until I could see a pair of black boots. The EMT quickly kneeled down next to me. He was wearing navy slacks and a button-up shirt and under his thick jacket he looked real lean but I was sure that he was probably stronger than he looked. He peered at me from under a navy blue baseball cap.

"Hey, my name is Edward," he said softly. "How's your head? Can you sit up?"

My mind suddenly went into overdrive. Was it really that same Edward? I looked up at him from under my lashes and stifled a gasp. It was him… and he was waiting to hear if I was hurt.

"Are you okay?" he asked, attempting to peer into my eyes again.

This time I gave in and looked up at him. His eyes were even better close up; they were the clearest green I had ever seen. I could see his hair sticking out under his hat again and I suddenly longed to reach out and touch it, to run my fingers through it and continue down his square jaw, across his stubble…

_Wait, was I really just thinking that? _I thought to myself in disbelief. I shook my head slightly and tried to answer him.

"I think so," I said, trying to look away but my eyes kept darting back to look at his. "I think I just need to sit for a while."

"That shouldn't be a problem, considering we were ordered to," Edward grumbled; I gave a small laugh. "Is it okay if I sit with you, Bella?"

"Yeah, sure."

He sat down next to me, closer than I expected. Though we weren't touching, I could feel the heat from his body. He looked up at Daniel, who was humming to himself, and then looked back down at me and smiled. I felt my stomach do a flip.

We heard the door to the store rattle a few times, making my heart jump into my throat every time, but after a while the sounds stopped. All we could hear was the radio playing over the speaker system. It was set to a soothing classical. About an hour went by and I noticed that Daniel was starting to doze in his chair, his rifle across his lap.

I nudged Edward and nodded towards Daniel. Edward looked up in confusion and then frowned.

"What do we do?" I whispered.

"We shouldn't do anything," Edward murmured, shaking his head. "If he were to wake up and find someone gone or something, he'd probably hurt someone else."

Suddenly, Daniel sat up straight. He looked around the room with confused eyes, as though he forgot why he was there. His eyes locked on Edward and me sitting together.

I shuddered, hoping no one would be stupid enough to try anything. I felt Edward shift his body closer.

"Don't worry," he assured me. "I won't let him hurt you again."

"Okay, I don't want any more funny business," Daniel said in a bored voice. "EMT Edward, you grab Claire. Everyone to the middle aisle so I can keep an eye on you all. Oh, and someone grab me a Redbull?"

Edward stood and coaxed Claire out from behind the counter. Charlie, the man in the suit, an older woman that had been on the other side of the store and I moved to the aisle and sat across from each other.

After Edward set Claire on the floor next to the woman, he walked quickly to the coolers, grabbed a couple cans of Redbull from the shelves and walked back to Daniel, who nodded with a smile as he set the cans on the counter.

"Thank you very much," Daniel said cheerfully, popping open on of the energy drinks. "Have a seat!"

Edward turned on his heel and strode swiftly down the aisle. He plopped himself on the floor next to me, sitting close enough that our arms touched. I felt my face turn red again and looked down at the ground, letting my hair swing forward to hide it.

The radio station suddenly turned fuzzy before switching to a loud rock station.

"That's what I'm talking about!" Daniel crowed, taking a swig of his energy drink. He started pacing behind the counter, nodding his head to the beat of the song.

"At least he's happy now," Edward muttered; I giggled quietly.

I looked up at him to find him staring intently at me. As Edward stared into my eyes, I suddenly got a sense of déjà vu. But not because of him looking at me… this situation, being trapped in this store like this… I felt like I'd been here before…

And again, I felt that need to be closer to him. He was leaning so close to me that I could actually smell his minty breath, could taste it on my tongue. I wished he would close that distance, would place those perfect lips on mine…

_Whoa, slow down there, Bella,_ I thought to myself. _You don't even know the guy!_

I tore my eyes away from his and looked down at the floor again. I thought I heard him sigh.

The small group of us on the floor was quiet for a long time, listening to Daniel sing along with the songs as he gulped down his drinks.

"I'm just going to break the ice here," Edward said suddenly, sitting up a little straighter. "My name is Edward and quite obviously, I am an EMT. Every Tuesday, I cruise the town, looking for any signs of trouble, and then around two in the afternoon, I like to come in here for a soda and a snack."

Edward smiled. When everyone continued to look at him as though he were crazy for trying to have such a normal conversation under the circumstances, I decided to speak up.

"Hi, my name is Bella," I mumbled, glancing up at Edward, whose smile only got bigger. "I'm working on my degree in literature, even though I know I can do basically nothing with it, and I come back to the community college every summer to… take a few more required classes that I need. I like to come in here before my Tuesday class to get a snack, too…"

I trailed off, hoping that Edward would never learn that I actually came home every summer to be a maid. And I suddenly wondered if I really wasn't that crazy to think I saw that EMT van in the parking lot every week…

"My name is Jean," the older woman said uncertainly. "I'm a retired housewife. I was on my way out of town to buy a birthday gift for my sister."

"Claire," Claire whispered miserably, sniffing. "I just started here two weeks ago. I'm not supposed to be working alone yet but we've been short-handed since this other girl quit…"

Claire trailed off, her bottom lip trembling. Jean tightened her arm around Claire's shoulders.

"Charlie," grunted Charlie, the truck driver. "I drive a truck."

Charlie didn't say anything more so the well-dressed man cleared his throat quietly and straightened his suit again.

"I'm Wilson Smith," he said proudly. "I'm a lawyer. Anything you need after this, I'll help, half price."

Everyone sat quietly again. Claire slowly calmed down with the help of Jean, who whispered encouragements in her ear and kept her arm around her. Jean was a hefty woman with iron gray hair, swept up into a bun. She was dressed plainly, in jeans and a t-shirt with a nice cardigan thrown over it. She spoke with a slight British accent.

Wilson wouldn't stop looking at his watch and smoothing down his light brown hair; he had it parted neatly off to the side. His face was shaved so smoothly that it was hard to tell how old he was but I guessed he was in his late thirties.

As we sat there, I thought about what Edward had said. Apparently, he came in here every week. Had he seen me before? Had I noticed him at all? Was I really so paranoid to notice his van parked there so much? I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye; he caught me looking and smiled. I blushed again and looked down.

"What is it?" he asked with a small chuckle.

"Just wondering…" I began in a small voice.

"Yes?" Edward prompted, scooting an inch closer.

"Have you… seen me in here before?" I asked so quietly that I could barely hear myself. Maybe he hadn't heard me at all. I kind of hoped so.

"Actually, yes," he said brightly and I looked up hopefully. His smile was even bigger than before. "Quite a few times. I've been working up the nerve to talk to you."

"No way," I blurted out, taken aback.

"Yes way!" Edward said with a wink. I stared at him with my mouth hanging open before blushing and looking down yet again. My face was feeling so hot that it was uncomfortable. I _really_ hoped he was missing that…

"But…why?" I whispered.

"Why did I want to talk to you?" he asked; I gave a tiny nod. "I noticed you that day I came to teach CPR in your Biology class. I've never seen anyone read with such concentration—especially a textbook! I had hoped you'd stop to talk to the teacher before you left but you didn't get the chance. I secretly hoped I'd see you again."

I chanced a glance at Edward; he winked at me again before going on and I returned my gaze to my shoes.

"I got lucky and ended up coming in here between shifts at the same time you came by. When I saw you, some rich kid was trying to talk to you. He was one of those pretty boys with the fancy car, the designer clothes and the expensive cell phone. You didn't even seem to notice he was flirting with you. You looked real nervous, like you were surprised someone noticed you at all. You didn't even look at the guy when you answered him. Same thing happened today when that guy from the sporting goods store tried to talk to you."

Edward paused and gave a small laugh.

"I got curious," he continued. "I wondered if you just didn't like these guys in particular because I've never seen a girl act like that while getting hit on. Most girls will tell the guy off or flirt right back. But not you. I came back again the next day, hoping to see you. You didn't come in so I asked the guy at the counter—he had worked the day before—if he'd seen you come in and he said you came in every Tuesday, usually as you rushed off to class. So, I decided I'd come back the next Tuesday.

"And you were there again." Edward sighed happily and I peeked up at him through my hair. "This time you weren't late. You took your time looking at the chips and the sodas, nervously running your hand through your hair whenever someone walked by or looked at you. I thought it was so cute.

"And I also noticed how you dressed. Just jeans and a t-shirt. When it was cold, you wore a hoodie but nothing special. I liked that. You dressed for comfort but you looked good doing it."

Edward paused again, as though waiting to see if I'd say anything. I didn't know what to say. I never thought I was all that noticeable, let alone had a guy tell me all the things he liked about me, most of which were just my nervous quirks.

"You talked to the guy at the counter once. You were real polite; you didn't curse every other word—it was a relief to hear after spending so much time with all the other dirty-mouthed EMTs. I think you even made a cute joke that actually made the old man crack a smile."

"I think I remember that," I said, smiling a little. "It was such a lame joke."

"I still thought it was cute," he said, nudging me. I felt my face get a little pink but I was already getting used to him—even starting to like the attention—that my face didn't start burning up.

"So…" I began and took a deep breath for bravery. "What did you plan to say once you worked up the nerve to talk to me?"

"I had planned to ask you out," he answered simply.

"Oh," I said stupidly.

"What do you think you would have said?" he asked, sounding slightly uncertain.

"Why don't you ask me?" I said shyly, glancing up at him.

"Bella," he said, grinning hugely. "I'd love to take you out sometime. Are you free this weekend?"

"Hmm, I'm not sure," I answered, pretending to think hard; his expression dropped a tiny bit. "You see, I'm kind of trapped in this hostage situation…"

Edward snorted loudly but managed to quickly turn it into a noisy cough. I looked down again, hiding my face this time from Daniel. Through my curtain of hair, I saw him stop dancing to the music for a few seconds before shrugging and going back to enjoying his rock song.

When Edward got over his fake coughing fit, he moved even closer to me. When I didn't move, he slowly put his arm around me, resting his hand on my waist. My stomach fluttered.

"I hope this is alright," he whispered, his warm breath tickling my ear. "Just in case we don't get a chance to…"

He trailed off and I shuddered. He tightened his grip around me.

"Sorry," he breathed in my ear. "But now is as good a chance as any to have a first date, I think. We got to stick together."

"Do you promise you'll stay with me?" I whispered, suddenly terrified that this may be the only time we'd get to spend together.

"Yes," he said fiercely.

Without warning, my eyes started to tear up. I tried to swallow the lump rising in my throat but it didn't work. I sniffed quietly and felt the tears slid silently down my face. Edward looked down and when he saw my face, he pulled me even closer.

"I promise," he said again. "I won't leave you. We'll be okay."

I curled into his chest, noticing that though he was more muscled than I had thought. It almost felt almost like I was cuddling up to stone but it was actually kind of nice. His arms wound around me easily, making me feels safe. He rubbed his thumb against my shoulder soothingly; I felt myself relax into his embrace.

No one seemed to notice Edward and me. Maybe they thought we were already together. It sure felt that way.

* * *

The afternoon ended without any more incidents and before I knew it, it was dark outside. I could tell everyone was starting to get a little bored—everyone except Daniel, who continued to rock out to his radio station. At one point, he grabbed a handful of snack-sized bags of chips, tossed everyone their own and returned to his spot behind the counter, this time singing through mouthfuls of food. We all looked at each other apprehensively, wondering what to do. Finally, Charlie shrugged and tore open his bag of chips.

"Dunno about ya'll but I'm starving," he grunted.

Everyone ate their chips in silence, still glancing anxiously at Daniel.

"There's something wrong with that guy," Edward whispered after a while, glaring at Daniel.

"Obviously," Wilson snorted. "He's a psycho holding us hostage at gunpoint."

"No, I don't mean that," Edward said sharply, turning his glare on Wilson, who stopped smiling when he saw Edward' face. "He's not acting the way most captors do."

"Just seems like an idiot to me," Wilson muttered, rolling his eyes.

"No, he's not," I snapped, surprising everyone, including myself. "He's just inconsistent."

"He was sure not to hurt Claire," Edward said quietly. "But he had no problem throwing Charlie across the room. Why?"

"Well," I said slowly. "When he found out that Claire was underage, he changed his mind about her and left her alone."

"But why would he think _you_ were over eighteen?" Wilson asked suspiciously.

"For one thing, I _am_ over eighteen," I said icily; Wilson rolled his eyes again like he didn't believe it.

"And how would _he_ know?" he argued.

"Because he's been here before," Claire spoke up suddenly; we all turned to her and she continued meekly. "Last week, Bella bought a lottery ticket and I carded her. I think Daniel was in here. He didn't buy anything, just hung around the store for a while."

"Why didn't you tell us you've seen him before?" Wilson snapped, leaning toward Claire, his hands balling up into fists.

"I just remembered!" Claire cried defensively. "Why does it matter anyways?"

"Everything matters!" Wilson hissed, his eyes getting wide.

Before their argument could continue, there was a sharp knock on the glass doors. Everyone froze, including Daniel. He turned down the radio and backed into the L shaped wall of cigarettes, hiding himself in the corner and clutching his rifle to his chest.

"Everyone down!" he said in a loud whisper.

Everyone flattened themselves on the ground, Edward shielding me with his body. I could feel his heart beating quickly against my back but his breathing was even. Mine wasn't—it was coming in short bursts, making my head spin.

"It's alright," Edward breathed in my ear, stroking my hair. "Shh, calm down."

The sharp knock came again, this time accompanied by a loud, deep voice, almost like the bouncer's at the bar.

"This is the police! Open this door!"

"No!" Daniel shouted rather childishly. "Not until you give me what I want!"

"What is it that you want?" the police officer asked sternly.

"I'm not telling _you_!" Daniel yelled, practically shaking with anger. "There is someone who knows and this person is the only one I will talk to!"

It was silent on the other side of the door. Then, the officer spoke again.

"Will you tell us who this person is so we can find them?"

"Ha! No way!" Daniel laughed.

It was quiet again and after a few minutes, Daniel relaxed and peeked around the shelves he was hiding behind. He smiled and hopped up onto the counter.

"They're gone," he said smugly. "I knew they wouldn't try to get in."

"Do you think they've gone to get a SWAT team or something?" I whispered to Edward who was still lying across me protectively.

"Maybe," he said, sighing heavily. "But the nearest SWAT team is over two hours away. We don't have one here in town."

I closed my eyes and groaned quietly. I guessed the others could hear Edward as well because I heard them make noises of discontent under their breath.

No one spoke. Daniel turned up the music again and started humming along, still smiling in a slightly creepy way. I looked out from under Edward' arm and saw Charlie roll onto his back and fold his hands across his chest. He closed his eyes and in moments was snoring quietly. Wilson glanced from Charlie's sleeping form to the singing Daniel and rolled over as well. He shrugged out of his suit jacked, folded it neatly and tucked it beneath his head.

Jean and Claire seemed too afraid to move. They were lying side by side on the floor, Jean on her side and Claire on her stomach like me; Claire was still whimpering. Jean stroked Claire's ponytail, staring into space.

Edward rolled over onto his back too but I was frozen, still lying on my stomach. This time, I wasn't quite frozen with fear but actual cold. The air conditioning was still going in the store, making the already cold tile feel like ice. I curled my arms under my body and started shivering.

"Oh, here—"Edward sat up and took off his jacket. I turned my head and stifled a gasp.

Edward's arms were more toned than his lean physique let on. His biceps weren't bulging but he didn't even have to flex for me to see how strong they were. What I had seen from across the biology was nothing compared to seeing him up close. And now that he had his jacket off, I glanced down at his chest. He had missed the top button of his shirt and I could see a cloud of coarse chest hair poking out. I could see the contours of his chest a bit better and I didn't doubt if he worked out more than a few times a week.

I looked up at his face again, having that sudden urge again to feel the scruff covering his face and neck; curious as to how it felt. I started to wonder how old he really was. Not many guys around my age that I knew could pull off this five-o-clock shadow the way he could.

Edward draped his jacket over me and rubbed my back softly, trying to help me warm up. He smiled when I stopped shaking and lay down again with his hands behind his head.

"How old are you?" I blurted out.

"How old do you think I am?" he asked, flashing a brilliantly white smile.

"I'm terrible at ages…" I mumbled but he didn't answer me so I ventured a guess. "Are you nineteen?"

"Not quite," he said.

"Twenty?"

"Nope."

"Over twenty? You mean you're even older than me?"

"I'm twenty-five," he said with a laugh. "I knew you were older than you looked but I'm surprised. You're actually older than eighteen?"

"Yeah," I grumbled; sometimes it bothered me how young people thought I was, even when they were only off by a year or two. "I'm twenty."

"You know, one day you will find it a complement when people think you look younger than you are," he said, interpreting my grimace correctly.

"I guess you're right," I sighed.

We looked at each other for a long time and I wondered what he saw. For some reason, being trapped in a store was making me feel more and more comfortable with him and I wondered if he could see that. Maybe it was the way he was looking at me that made me feel that way, like I was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, like today was the last day we'd ever spend together…

At that last thought, I felt my eyes prickle again and my lower lip trembled. Edward' face fell, his eyebrows pulling together and a frown pulling at his lips. He reached his arm out and I slid into his side, burying my face in his strong, hard chest again and wrapping my arms around his torso. He put his arm around me, holding me tight to his body and I was surprised by how relaxed I was and how utterly right this felt.

"Hey, hey, it's alright," he said soothingly, rubbing my back.

"B-but what if this ends badly," I said through my rattling teeth.

Edward' hands faltered for a moment but he quickly recovered. His fingers found their way under my chin and coaxed my face up to his. His emerald eyes slowed the shaking but my heart raced faster.

"We'll get out of this," he whispered fiercely. "I promise."

"If we do—"

"_When_ we do," he correctly sternly.

"Fine—_when _we do," I continued slowly. "Will you still… I mean, can we…"

I trailed off, not knowing what exactly I wanted to ask. Would he still want to go out with me? Was all this just because we were trapped together? Was I anywhere near what he had hoped me to be? I felt my lower lip start to quiver again and I tried to pull away.

Before I could move, Edward' lips were on mine. I could tell he was trying to just kiss me lightly but, without me telling them to do so, my hands reached for his face, trailing along the scruff. A split second later, I tried to pull away, afraid that he had only meant to give me a tiny peck and that I was pushing things. Instead of letting me go, Edward moved his hand to the back of my neck, his fingers braiding into my hair. My hands moved up his face and into his tousled hair. It was more amazing than I had imagined.

I had never been kissed before and I wasn't sure what to do. I let his lips part mine and felt an odd shiver roll down my spine, despite the warmth of his breath. I felt his free hand trail lightly down my arm and then down my side, right over my ribs. I trembled slightly. The way he touched me felt so good but so new. I had never had anyone touch me so intimately… I was surprised.

I opened my eyes a crack, looking through my lashes. Edward' eyes were all the way open and when he saw me opening mine, he pulled back. We sat looking at each other, inches apart, a smile slowly spreading across his face. He sighed contently and I couldn't help but smile back. My emotions were jumping around so quickly today that I was feeling a bit dizzy. Or maybe that was because of the kiss.

"Are you going to answer me?" I teased.

"Oh, Bella," Edward whispered with a laugh, lying my head on his chest.

Edward wrapped his arms tightly around me again and I let my hands slide up to his neck. I nuzzled into his warm body and I could tell, from the way he held me, that yes, he would feel the same after this. I sighed and heard a quiet laugh rumble in his chest. He kissed me on top of my head and leaned his head back again.

I could still hear the blood pounding through my ears and I knew I wanted to kiss him again but now was not the time. I could hear his heart beating slow and steady and tried to match my heart to his; I managed to slow it down a bit.

I was so comfortable lying in his arms that I started to drift off. I could hear Edward's even breathing and wondered if he was asleep. I closed my eyes and let the sound of his heart, his breathing, lull me to sleep.

* * *

The sound of someone talking is what woke me up. I felt groggy so I knew I hadn't been asleep long. I peeled my eyes open and tried to find the source of the noise.

I looked up at Edward; he was fast asleep. I turned to look at the other four; they were still asleep too, Charlie still snoring lightly. I turned my head again and saw that Daniel was no longer reading. Instead, he was pacing in front of the counter, grumbling to himself.

"Not going at all like I planned," he said to himself, gripping his rifle tightly in both hands. "She should have called by now, they should have found her. Why hasn't she called? Did they tell her not to?"

Daniel was sounding more and more angry the longer he talked to himself. After a few passes, he stopped pacing, breathing heavily. He turned, looking like he was about to start pacing again, but then he noticed me looking at him. His expression grew even darker.

I didn't have time to react. In three long strides, Daniel was standing over me, practically shaking with anger. He reached down and grabbed my arm, yanking me off the ground.

"What—hey!" Edward was instantly on his feet but Daniel already had me at the front counter.

"Shut up!" Daniel shouted, throwing me into the counter. I gasped as the edge of the counter hit my back but I stood absolutely still. "This is _not _going right!"

"What do you want from us?" Edward growled, taking a step forward. Charlie and Wilson scrambled to their feet, standing on either side of him. Jean and Claire sat up but stayed where they were.

"This is not supposed to happen!" Daniel spit through his teeth. "She was supposed to call by now!"

"Who?" Edward asked desperately. "Why can't you just call her? Why go through all this trouble?"

"No!" Daniel snapped. His eyes were wild, out of focus, as he stared around the room. He was clenching the rifle so tightly in his hand that his knuckles were turning white. His other hand reached into his sweatshirt pocket.

I cringed away from him, wary of what he was pulling out of his pocket. It was a roll of Duct tape and at first I relaxed—it was only tape. But then I realized what it was for. My eyes got wide and I tried to back away.

"No!" Edward started shouting, figuring out what the tape was for too. He lunged forward but Charlie and Wilson grabbed him, pulling him back. Edward fought against them and it looked like it was taking all the strength that Charlie and Wilson had to hold on to him.

Daniel ignored the other men and reached for me. I tried to get away but I tripped over my own feet and Daniel took the opportunity to grab my flailing hand and pull me towards him. He spun me around, pinning both my hands behind my back and wrapping them in the thick tape. I gasped as he wound it as tight as he could.

He threw me to the ground; without the use of my hands to break the fall, I landed hard on my right hip. I whimpered in pain.

"No!" Edward said again, his voice shaking with anger. "No, let her go! Don't hurt her!"

Daniel ignored him again and bent to tie my ankles as well. I looked up at Edward and saw that the two men holding him were starting to sweat from the effort of holding him back.

_Stay there,_ I mouthed at him.

_Are you okay?_ He mouthed back.

I nodded quickly but then winced as Daniel shoved my tightly bound feet away from him and stood up. Edward flinched and his arms were quivering with the effort of holding himself back. I saw his eyes sparkle with tears and my own eyes welled up instantly at the sight.

"Alright, enough of this," Daniel growled. He marched over to Edward, who was glaring back at him. Charlie and Wilson watched cautiously, still keeping a firm grip on Edward.

Daniel glowered at Edward, his arms tensing. Both men were shaking with rage. I held my breath, wondering what would happen next. Whatever it was, it wouldn't be good.

Daniel turned and looked at me but I kept my gaze on Edward who followed Daniel's gaze. My eyes flickered to Daniel's face, though, when I saw him look back at Edward out of the corner of his eye. Edward was still staring at me. I turned my attention back to Daniel just in time to figure out what he was about to do.

"NO!" I screamed in warning but it was too late.

Daniel swung the rifle back and used the butt of the weapon to hit Edward in the stomach. Edward doubled over in pain, falling to his knees as Charlie and Wilson let go and jumped back in surprise. Charlie tried to lean over Edward but Daniel shoved him away with the rifle.

"Leave him!" he barked. Charlie backed up farther, as did Wilson.

Edward coughed and wheezed, holding his stomach. I saw Daniel pull his foot back; I closed my eyes but I still heard as his shoe made contact with Edward' face. Edward grunted in pain and I opened my eyes; he was lying flat on his back, one hand still on his stomach and the other clutching his nose.

"Please, no," I tried to yell but it only came out as a small squeak. Tears were rolling down my face, clouding my vision. I blinked furiously, trying to see if Edward was alright.

Daniel laughed once and grabbed the back of Edward' shirt.

He dragged him to the back of the store. I didn't think that Daniel had that much strength to pull him—Edward was a good six inches taller than him—but it looked like his anger was fueling him with enough adrenaline to do it. Edward didn't fight him. I could see his head flopping back, his eyes rolling, as he started to lose consciousness. He must have hit his head on the tile when he flew backward.

I watched in horror as Daniel pulled out the roll of duct tape again and bind Edward' hands together. Then, he shoved Edward up against a support pole, flung his arms over his head and proceeded to tape them tightly to the metal pole. After he taped him around his midsection as well, Daniel stomped back to wear I lay.

I didn't take my eyes off of Edward, hoping he'd wake up. But he didn't move. He just stayed sagging against the pole, his chin on his chest, barely breathing. I didn't fight as Daniel started to drag me, too. I barely noticed as he tied me to the magazine rack attached to the front counter, too busy silently pleading.

_Edward, Edward, please wake up,_ I thought to myself, watching his chest rise and fall weakly with each shallow breath. _I don't know what to do without you, please wake up! Help me!_

Daniel went back behind the counter. I heard him sit down and prop his feet up on the counter again. The room was silent again.


	3. Chapter 3: Questionable Alibis

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are owned by Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended with the posting of this story.**

**I apologize for the layout of Chapter One. I know it's really no big deal, it was still readable, but it didn't have the disclaimer and it didn't look the way I intended. I'm so happy to have follows and I hope you all enjoy my writing! Chapter Two looked just right, let's hope Chapter Three behaves as well!**

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Questionable Alibis

I don't know how long I sat and stared, wishing Edward would open his eyes, flash his crooked smile at me and assure me that he could detach himself from the pole he was taped to, no problem. But he didn't move, didn't stir, as the blood dripped from his perfect nose, down his chin covered in that beautiful stubble and onto his shirt.

Holy crow, even when he was bleeding he looked beautiful…

Maybe the police would come barreling in the door, take down Daniel and whisk everyone to safety. But if Daniel heard them coming or managed to dodge the attack, what would he do then? It was impossible to tell but my guess was that he would start shooting. Everyone but Edward and I could run for cover but the counter shielded me from Daniel who was standing behind it. The only person that would get hurt would be…

Just as I was thinking that appalling thought, a movement caught my eye. I felt my heart beat faster as Edward slowly lifted his head. He groaned quietly and tried to lower his arms. When he found he couldn't lower them, he tugged harder, looking around with unfocused eyes.

After a moment's search, Edward' eyes found mine and he stopped struggling. His face took on that pained look again and I saw him open his mouth to speak. I shook my head once and he closed his mouth again.

_I'm sorry,_ he mouthed, his eyes full of anguish.

I tried to give him a small smile but the muscles in my face wouldn't work. We just looked at each other for a long time. I saw him pull uselessly at his bounds a few times but he couldn't pull free. I did the same thing, with no hope of breaking away.

I felt my insides turn to ice as I realized that we were both stuck right where we were. No matter how strong Edward may be, the duct tape was apparently too strong for him as well and his blow to the head had weakened him; he winced in pain every time he tried to move.

Daniel was the furthest thing from my mind until he suddenly came around the counter. I didn't look at him until I heard a tiny click. I raised my head to see him lighting a cigarette with a fancy, silver Zippo lighter. He took a drag and looked down at me. I angrily looked away.

As Daniel slowly made his way toward me, I could feel the ice in my stomach melt until I started to feel hot all over. I could hear my blood pounding in my ears and my face felt red hot. I was used to feeling this way when I was getting nervous so it took me a moment to realize what I was really feeling.

I was angry. Very angry.

I could feel my breath start to come even quicker than before, each breath burning the inside of my throat as Daniel's smoke wafted in my direction. I closed my eyes and tried to concentrate on calming myself.

"Well, what are you going to do now, missy?" Daniel said, trying to sound seductive again. Again, it didn't work.

When I didn't react, I heard Daniel's shoes squeak on the tile and his knees pop slightly as he kneeled down in front of me. I could almost feel the heat of his cigarette and wished I could move away.

I heard the crackle as he took another drag. He blew the smoke out nosily, blowing it right in my face. I tried to hold my breath but only managed to for a few seconds before I started coughing.

"Come on, man!" Edward shouted from the back of the store. "Don't poison her with that crap!"

"What are you going to do about it?" Daniel taunted.

I opened my eyes just a crack but squeezed them shut again as Daniel reached for me. I had a feeling I knew what he was going to do but still shivered involuntarily as Daniel stroked my cheek with one finger.

Edward growled loudly. My eyes snapped open when Daniel lowered his hand.

He hadn't moved. He was still kneeling in front of me, smiling in a creepy kind of way. I scowled back, feeling my neck get hot again. He just laughed and stood up.

Just then the phone rang.

All the fire inside me disappeared, leaving me feeling numb. I looked with wide eyes at the rest of the room. Everyone—Edward, Charlie, Wilson, Jean, Claire—was staring in the direction of the ringing phone, just as surprised as I was.

Without hesitating, Daniel rushed around the counter. I couldn't see what he was doing but I heard him snatch a phone from its cradle and press a button.

"Hello?" he said into it and then yelled, "Hello?"

I heard the sound of rattling—Daniel was shaking the phone.

"Why won't it work?" he barked a Claire; she gave a small yelp.

"It's broken," she said quietly. "It only works on speaker-phone."

Daniel grunted in disapproval; I heard another beep as he pressed another button.

"Hello?" he said again.

"Hello, this is Lieutenant Sam Uley," I heard a voice say from the phone. "Is this Scott Miller?"

"No, this is Daniel Brown," Daniel answered, sounding annoyed.

"Ah," said Lieutenant Uley. "Well, is there any way I can speak with Scott?"

"Of course not!" Daniel snapped. "It's only me here!"

"Alright then, Daniel," the Lieutenant said in a calm voice. "I'm told there is something that you want but you don't feel up to sharing. Why is that? What are you upset about, Daniel?"

"I-I'm not telling you!" Daniel spat, his voice shaking with anger.

"That's fine, Daniel," the Lieutenant answered. "I think I know who you might be looking for. Is it a woman named Sandy Johnson?"

Daniel hesitated. I could hear him breathing loudly, practically gasping for breath. I looked to Edward but he was watching Daniel with a confused look on his face.

"Yes," Daniel breathed. "But she doesn't want to talk to me…"

"Well, Daniel," continued the Lieutenant. "If I can get her here to speak with you, would you be willing to work something out with us?"

"Like what?" Daniel demanded, sounding suspicious.

"Well, it would be nice if you released some of your hostages in there, Daniel."

Daniel was silent. I looked at Edward again who was studying Daniel as he tugged at his bindings a bit. Finally, Daniel spoke.

"Alright, fine!" He sighed loudly. "You can have… the youngest and the oldest. But that's it!"

I saw Claire and Jean exchange hopeful looks. Claire started to silently cry again and Jean put her arm around her shoulders.

"That's fair, Daniel," the Lieutenant said in a rushed voice. "The time is now… 11:30 P.M. If you let your hostages go in the next five minutes, I'll have Sandy call you at precisely 11:40. Is that fair?"

"But what—no, that's fair," Daniel said, changing his tone from guarded to excited in a split second. I saw Edward narrow his eyes.

"Thank you very much, Daniel," the Lieutenant said; I heard the beep as Daniel hung up the phone.

Daniel marched around the counter, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. He looked around the room, taking in each person carefully—all three men were eyeing him suspiciously while the girls continued to look expectant—but he saved me for last.

He turned slowly, a smile spreading across his face. I squirmed, trying to pull my hands free again. Daniel set his rifle on the counter and reached into his pocket. I flinched as he pulled out a pocket knife.

"What are you doing?" Edward yelled, pulling as hard as he could against the tape, but it still held fast.

"Oh, just relax," Daniel replied, rolling his eyes.

I held very still, barely breathing, as Daniel knelt next to me and cut the tape off my midsection and my hands. I didn't move from where I sat except to rub my wrists where the tape had nearly cut off circulation. Then, he grabbed my shoulder roughly and yanked me off the floor.

"What the _hell_ are you doing?" Edward yelled again, struggling wildly; Daniel didn't answer, he just grabbed his rifle off the counter and used it to gesture at Claire and Jean to stand up.

"Shut up or I'll shoot!" Daniel shouted, cocking the rifle and pointing it in my direction.

I couldn't breathe. My lungs felt like they were collapsing and my head started to spin. I couldn't see anything but the rifle pointed directly at my chest. My body started to shake and my hands turned ice cold. I could hear a hollow rushing sound in my ears, drowning out everything else.

"That's better," Daniel said from what seemed like far away. "Now, Charlie, move the bookshelf out of the way."

I vaguely heard Charlie stand up and clomp towards the front doors. Then I heard a dull scraping sound but I couldn't make sense of it.

"Loosen up, sweetie, I'm sure you'll be fine," I heard Daniel mutter; the sound of his voice pulled me away and I was able to hear again.

I looked up at his face. It was calm and smooth with the hint of a smile playing on his lips. He wasn't looking at me but was watching Charlie move the bookcase. Charlie continued to move it until the glass door was unblocked.

Through the doors, I could see the parking lot perfectly; it was lit by four tall flood lights. There was a row of police cars and black vans parked across the lot and in the street. About fifty feet from the door stood half a dozen men in black SWAT uniforms, holding shields and batons. They waited at attention and I saw one of them speak to the others when he caught sight of us.

Daniel made us wait what felt like forever so that the SWAT team could get a good look at us then he gestured to Charlie who moved the bolt at the top of the door to unlock it.

Daniel gripped my arm tighter, pulling me forward a few steps.

"Okay, now you two can leave," he said to Jean and Claire. "But slowly."

Jean helped Claire up off the floor and the two of them moved, side by side, to the store's front door. When they reached it, Jean glanced back over her shoulder before pushing open the door. Once outside, the two of them raced into the arms of the SWAT team.

The same man that had spoken before stayed where he was as the others guided Jean and Claire to safety. He locked eyes with Daniel for a moment before he slowly walked away.

"Good, now all we have to do is wait," Daniel grunted, releasing me.

My hands tingled as the blood rushed down to them. I rubbed my arm absentmindedly as Daniel relocked the front door. When he turned around and found me still standing where he had left me he looked surprised. He looked once from Edward and back to me and then rolled his eyes.

"Fine!" he snapped, making me jump. "Go untie him. Guess I'm done with being pissed…for now!"

I took a step towards Edward, watching Daniel warily. He was selecting another magazine to read and didn't look up as I took another step. I looked to Edward; he nodded once. I hurried to him, tripping over my own feet and the cans of food still scattered around before falling to my knees by Edward.

"Bella, are you okay?" he whispered breathlessly, his eyes raking over my body, looking for any kind of injury.

"I'm fine," I said in a shaky voice; my fingers fumbled over the tape strapped to Edward' stomach. "What about you? Did he break your nose? How's your head? Is your stomach okay?"  
"Bella, calm down, I'm alright," Edward said soothingly as my breathing started to hitch and my hands slid uselessly over the Duct tape. "Now, stop and take a deep breath."

I put my hands in my lap, trying my best to breathe deeply. Edward locked his eyes with mine and if he was in any pain, his eyes didn't give anything away. When he was sure I was calm, he spoke again.

"There's a pocket knife in my back pocket," he whispered with a small smile. "Use it to cut me free just please try not to cut yourself."

"I'll do my best," I mumbled; he chuckled.

I glanced over my shoulder at Daniel—who was studiously ignoring us—and reached for Edward' back pocket. I felt butterflies in my stomach at the thought of his butt under my hands. I looked down, trying to hide my blush, as I quickly pulled out the knife. I think he noticed though; I saw him smile again. I flipped open the knife and carefully sawed at the tape around his hands and stomach. I managed to do so without cutting either of us.

Once he was free, Edward snatched the knife away, closed it and put it back in his pocket before anyone noticed and pulled me to him. He held me tightly, kissing my cheek.

"Are you _sure_ you're alright?" he whispered in my ear.

"Fine, fine," I answered. "I was just so worried about _you_!"

"Don't worry about me," he said and I could hear the smile in his voice. He pulled back and looked at me. "How horrible does it look?" he asked with a grimace.

"Just a little messy," I said, wrinkling up my nose. I used his own jacket to wipe away the blood under his nose.

We both glanced up at the big round clock on the wall near the door. I gasped as I saw the minute hand move to indicate it was 11:40 and looked to Daniel; he had noticed the time too.

Daniel snapped his magazine shut and stood, dropping it on the counter and grabbing his rifle. Just as he started to move around the counter, the phone rang. He dashed back to get it, pressing the buttons impatiently.

"Yes?" he barked into the receiver.

"Daniel? It's Sandy," said a sweet, high-pitched voice. She sounded a lot like Tess except nicer.

"Sandy!" Daniel sighed, his voice saturated with love. It was such a stark contrast to the hard voice he'd been using all night.

"Daniel, what do you think you're doing?" Sandy asked sharply.

"It's no big deal, Sandy," Daniel chuckled.

"You're holding a bunch of people hostage! How is that nothing?"

I thought I could hear a voice in the background telling Sandy something. It almost sounded like they were trying to calm her down.

"Who's that?" Daniel asked suspiciously.

"The police, of course," Sandy answered. She took a deep breath. "Look, Daniel, I'm willing to help you get what you want but you're going to have to tell me."

"You're the only person who _can_ help me," Daniel said sadly. "I just… I just want to see her."

"That is…" Sandy struggled to sound calm but her voice was shaking so badly that I almost couldn't understand what she was saying. "That… is… out of the question."

"Why?" Daniel asked desperately.

"She doesn't want to see you! She wants to see Scott!"

"But… I can't…" Daniel trailed off, a pained look on his face. He dropped his head into his hands and was quiet.

"Look," Sandy said in a soothing voice. "If you can… find Scott, then maybe we can work something out. But, for now… you need to let everyone go."

Daniel was still and silent. I counted to one hundred and twenty in my head before he moved. He lifted his head, his eyes still sad, and his face drawn.

"Fine," he said in an emotionless voice. "But I want to see her… at least once. Right now."

"Daniel, I—"

"That's the deal!" Daniel shouted at the phone, making everyone in the room jump. His face turned stark white to bright red in an instant; his eyes were livid. "You have until midnight!"

He ended the call and slammed the phone down on the counter so hard that the batteries popped out. He stood there, fuming, for a few minutes before he grabbed his rifle and started pacing behind the counter again. He stopped after a few passes, picked up the phone, replaced the batteries and set it carefully on the counter.

I looked up at Edward; his eyes were tight.

"What now?" I whispered.

"No idea," he said quietly, still following Daniel's every move. "He gave them quite a bit of time to bring… whoever it is he wants to see."

I felt Edward's arms tighten around me. I rested my head on his chest, watching Daniel, trying to figure out who he would want to see.

Suddenly, it clicked. The reasons behind his mood swings, his inconsistency, these two different names…

"Edward!" I whispered, tugging on his sleeve. "I think Daniel has multiple personalities."

"Are you sure?" he asked, frowning down at me.

"Almost positive," I nodded. "I had a girl in one of my classes that acted just like him and then she suddenly dropped out so a rumor started floating around that she suffered from a multiple personality disorder."

"Huh…" Edward looked back up at Daniel, holding me tighter still. He couldn't seem to come up with any other ideas so he just sat quietly, holding me to him.

After about ten minutes, Daniel was clearly starting to get agitated. He started pacing faster, mumbling angrily to himself and kept looking out the front door to the parking lot.

All of a sudden, he came striding down the aisle we were in. Edward clutched me even closer, shielding me with his body. Daniel stopped halfway down the aisle, visibly shaking with fury. His hands were in tight fists at his side, his nostrils were flared and his face was bright red. He looked from side to side, at the shelves surrounding us.

And then he lunged at one of the shelves, grabbing the top of it with both hands and pulling with all his strength. In practically slow motion, I watched as the shelf toppled over, its contents spilling as the shelf came crashing down. I was frozen, my eyes wide, but luckily Edward reacted quickly. He threw himself on top of me again, crushing me to the floor. I heard Charlie shout something. Edward grunted loudly, a swear escaping his lips, and then it was silent.

After a moment, I heard Daniel laugh quietly and then walk away.

It felt like Edward wasn't even breathing. I know I wasn't but that was mainly because his body on top of mine had expelled all the air in my lungs. I managed to suck in enough air to whisper at him.

"Edward, are you okay?" I asked.

He didn't say anything and I tried to twist around to see his face. I was able to turn my head just enough to see his face twisted in pain—real, physical pain; his eyes were squeezed shut and his mouth was pressed into a hard line.

"Edward?" I whispered frantically, struggling to get out from under him. I wiggled free enough to see that the shelves had fallen on his legs, pinning him to the floor on top of me.

"Edward, please, talk to me!" I was starting to panic; I didn't know what to do. "Just… just breathe, Edward. Please!"

Edward let out a long shuddering breath and then groaned again. He lay his head down on my shoulder, trying to get his breathing under control. I stroked his hair, doing my best to calm him.

"Please talk to me," I breathed, grazing his ear with my lips.

"My leg…" he said brokenly.

I snapped my head up and saw that the shelves were across his calves. A small pool of dark liquid was forming under him. I turned and looked at Charlie and Wilson. Wilson looked shocked and a little appalled; Charlie looked ready to spring to his feet.

Charlie and I looked at Daniel. He was sitting behind the counter again, his face in his hands. We looked back at Edward; in an instant, Charlie made up his mind.

He sprang to his feet and crouched down next to us, placing his hands firmly under the shelves. He nodded once at me.

"Alright, Edward, Charlie is going to lift the shelves," I said quietly in his ear. He nodded once, his head still down and I felt him grip fistfuls of my shirt.

"Ready and—"Charlie said with a grunt

As Charlie lifted the shelves, more food fell down onto the floor. Edward whimpered quietly, twitching as he was freed. I slid out from under him as Charlie righted the shelves and crouched down next to us again. At the same time, we moved to sit next to Edward's legs.

His left pant leg was torn and blood was pouring out of the ragged hole. Without even having to ask, Charlie jumped up again and grabbed a first aid kit from a nearby shelf. I carefully tore away Edward's pant leg from the knee down to reveal a large gash. I sucked in a sharp breath at the sight but quickly set to work doing my best to clean and bandage it with the supplies Charlie handed me.

I helped Edward sit up and lean against the pole again. His face was still twisted in agony. He kept his eyes closed but winced as he stretched his leg out in front of him. I scooted closer to him, touching his arm shyly. He turned his hand palm up and I place my hand in his. He gripped tightly and I squeezed back.

The phone rang again. Daniel answered it quickly.

"Yes?" he asked impatiently.

"Daniel, Katie and I will be outside in two minutes," said Sandy coldly. "Don't hurt any more people."

The phone line went dead and I saw Daniel roll his eyes and laugh. I felt my face get hot with anger again at how amused he was by that comment.

But my anger was short lived again as he came walking down the aisle. I tugged at Edward's arm, clutching him to me. His eyes flew opened and he reached over with his other hand to grip my arm.

"C'mon, honey," said Daniel sweetly, reaching down for me.

"No! Don't you touch her!" Edward shouted, trying to hold on to me.

Daniel nudged Edward's injured leg. He cried out in pain, briefly releasing me but it was just long enough so that Daniel was able to yank me off the floor. He had me back at the front counter in seconds.

"Just fucking let go of her!" Edward shouted, taking me by surprise with his vulgarity. I could see what he meant by the EMT's bad mouths.

Daniel ignored him and held me tightly as he had before, gripping the back of my neck with one hand and pointing the rifle at my chest. An odd sense of déjà vu came over me, as he had been all afternoon, but it wasn't because of this particular situation.

Suddenly, it clicked.

My parents had died in this exact same situation. They were held at gunpoint in a gas station store by a crazy lunatic. No one had been able to stop this man before he had killed everyone in that store.

Right then I decided I would not let that happen again. I may not be a brave person but I was certainly smart. I could figure something out. Whether or not what I tried worked, it would be my decision whether I lived or died. I was tired of having everything decided for me. It wouldn't happen this time.

I looked at Edward. He was clutching his legs in both hands, breathing heavily as he kept his eyes locked on me. Charlie sat next to him, one hand restraining him. Wilson sat close by, panic in his eyes as his eyes shifted from Daniel and me to the front door.

I felt Daniel shift nervously next to me and turned my attention to the glass fronted doors as two people came into view.

I assumed the woman was Sandy. She had brown hair that fell in curls just past her shoulders. She was really very pretty, with large blue eyes and full lips. She held hands with a girl about nine years old. She looked a lot like Sandy, with curly hair that was a dark shade of blonde. But her eyes were different. Even from this distance, I could tell they were darker. I glanced up at Daniel and saw that he had the same dark eyes.

Katie—his daughter.

Daniel's eyes filled with tears as he looked out at the woman and the child standing in the misty night, staring back at him. Watching how sad he looked being so close yet so far away from what he wanted, I acted impulsively.

"It doesn't have to be this way," I whispered.

"She won't let me see her," Daniel whispered brokenly, not looking at me.

"Why not?" I asked, trying to sound sympathetic.

"She'd rather have her see Scott," Daniel said, his voice cracking.

"And… who is Scott?" I asked. I heard Edward shift and turned slightly to look at Edward, to try to reassure him that I knew what I was doing.

"He's… her father," Daniel said sadly. "But I can't… I cant' find him."

"Does Scott… live inside you?" I asked uncertainly.

"No," Daniel answered in a far away voice. "I live inside him."

I gasped in surprise. This was all so confusing… Of what I had heard about this condition, people were usually unaware of each personality. It looks like Daniel knew that he was a separate being apart from Scott. I wondered if, with help, he'd be able to bring him back.

"Why are you here now, Daniel?" I asked quietly. "What is it that you want?"

"I want to be better."

"Better how?"

"I want to… feel better."

"You're sick?"

Daniel didn't say anything. I saw his lower lip quiver and he nodded.

"What's wrong with you?" I asked, astounded that I was making progress.

"I have cancer," he said in a small voice.

"Does… does Scott have cancer?" I asked slowly.

"No. Just me."

I thought for a moment. It seemed like Daniel was a manifestation of Scott's condition. His mind had split off into two parts to deal with the sickness but it seemed like it was only making things worse. I wondered if this had ever happened before.

"We can get you help," Edward said from across the room. I looked at him and saw that he was thinking the same thing I was. "I think…. Maybe you have a tumor in your brain. And that's why you can't find Scott anymore."

I blinked in surprise and looked hopefully at Daniel. He was still looking morosely at Sandy and Katie but his eyes were alight with a new kind of hope.

"Really?" he asked, giving a small smile.

"Yes," I answered confidently and felt Daniel drop his hand.

"If I do have a tumor," he asked hesitantly. "Can it be taken out so I can see her again?"

"There's only one way to find out," I whispered, taking a step away.

Daniel dropped his other hand, pointing the rifle at the floor and looking utterly defeated. I saw tears drip down his face.

"I'm… so sorry," he whispered. "Please… you can go."

I looked at Edward and after a moment, he nodded and struggled to get to his feet. Charlie quickly grabbed his arm and helped him up. Wilson still sat on the floor, looking stunned. Charlie nudged him with his foot and he scrambled to his feet. The three of them made their way towards us. Daniel sat down on the counter, his feet dangling off the side, and staring at the floor.

When we reached him, Charlie looked at Wilson and nodded at the gun that Daniel held loosely in his hands. Wilson looked terrified and shook his head quickly. I rolled my eyes at him and reached for the weapon. When Daniel didn't react, I gently pulled it free from his hands. I thrust it at Wilson and he made a face as he took it from me. I hurried to Edward's side and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. He kissed the top of my head and the four of us left the building.

The fog was freezing outside. In seconds, I could feel my hair dripping down my face and I started shivering. Edward held me tighter but then a couple members of the SWAT team came rushing forward and pried us apart. Charlie and I were led to one ambulance and Edward and Wilson were led to another on the opposite side of the parking lot. I looked over my shoulder at Edward. He nodded at me so even though it felt wrong to be away from him I obediently went to the ambulance and sat down on the gurney set out.

A tall man with the same build as Edward but with ice blonde hair started checking my vitals. He shined a light into both eyes, looking intently at me with his own clear blue eyes. I noticed that he was very good looking, with pale skin and full lips.

"My name is Carlisle," he said in a soft voice with a slight European accent to it. "Can you tell me your name please?"

"Bella Swan," I answered as he checked my pulse.

"Do you know what day of the week it is?" he asked, counting silently.

"Tuesday."

Carlisle nodded and started probing the back of my neck, looking for any signs of tenderness. When he seemed satisfied, he smiled at me.

"Well, Miss Swan, you seem to be doing just fine," he said kindly. "But I'd like to keep you here for a few minutes, if that's alright."

I nodded and gripped the edge of the gurney, wondering if I could get up now. I looked at Edward across the lot and watched as another EMT was checking his vitals. This EMT was huge with very broad shoulders and arms that were so big they looked like there were going to rip the sleeves of his shirt. His hair was dark brown and curly and I could see his face dimple when he laughed at something Edward said.

Carlisle saw me looking and chuckled.

"You can go see him if you'd like," he said, gesturing with his pen as he wrote something down on a chart. "Just don't stray too far."

I nodded and jumped off the gurney. I took a deep breath and started to make my way across the parking lot.

I was halfway across when I heard the sound of screeching tires. I stopped, looking around for the sound and spotted a dark blue convertible with dark tinted windows come to a halt at the edge of the parking lot where police tape was strung from the convenience store to the gas pumps. The driver flung open the door before the engine was cut off and flew over the police tape.

I was completely taken aback at the sight of Bridgette rushing towards me wearing tight sweatpants and a tank top. I started to move towards her to tell her everything was okay but she blew past me, making a direct line for the ambulance on the other side.

I was confused at first, wondering if she hadn't seen me until she got to where Edward was sitting. The big EMT was so surprised to see her that she was able to shove him out of the way and fling her arms around Edward's neck.

I froze, my mouth hanging open. I watched in horror as she clung to him. He gently put his hands on her waist and I could see him trying to push her away but that only made her grip tighter.

I stumbled back a step, not knowing what to do. She was staring at him with tears in her eyes, talking rapidly. I saw him shake his head, looking slightly annoyed. He started looking around and spotted me across the parking lot. I saw his mouth open, as though he wanted to say something. The look on his face was almost apologetic, as if he felt bad that I had caught them together.

I staggered back another step and then turned and ran. I could hear him calling out after me but I didn't care. A police officer tried to stop me but I skipped around him and kept running until I made it to my car. I threw myself inside, closing the door quickly to muffle the sounds of the yelling, and turned the key with shaking hands. Miraculously, the engine started without any trouble. I pealed out of the lot, ignoring more officers who tried to flag me down.

I didn't even notice if I drove through the police tape. I'm assuming I did but it didn't slow me down. I drove as far above the speed limit that my car would allow, confident that every squad car in town was busy at the convenience store right now.

I was able to drive halfway home before I realized I was crying. The tears were now blurring my vision so badly that I couldn't see through the thickening fog outside. I pulled over dangerously, knowing that if the streets hadn't been deserted that I would have side-swiped another car.

I sat with only the sound of the rumbling engine to drown out my sobs. I'm not sure how long I cried for and I could feel more tears trying to make their way out but I knew that if I didn't get home, someone would be able to find me. I shoved the car into gear and drove home quickly, though slower than before.

I was surprised to see all the lights on in the house. I fully expected Tess to have locked every door and window and to shut off all the lights before going to bed, giving me the impression that I was unwelcome at whatever late hour I came home.

I shut off the car and trudged up the front steps, wiping away the tears that were still escaping. When I got to the door, it flew open before I had the chance to collect myself. Tess was standing on the other side, wearing pink silk pajamas.

"Where have you been?" she screamed at me, her eyes like chips of ice.

"You wouldn't care," I mumbled, shoving past her. I didn't want to deal with her insignificant problems tonight.

"Don't take that tone with me, Bella!" she snapped, slamming the door. "Do you even want to know what we ended up doing for dinner?"

"No, I don't," I said coldly, rounding on her. "I'm sure my night was worse."

I started to walk away again; I wanted to curl up in my room and either cry my eyes out again or go to sleep. Both sounded good right about now, though a small voice in the back of my head wondered why it bothered me that Edward actually did have someone. Was it because it was Bridgette? Was it because of the promises he made me? My head spun in tiring circles.

"Bella, you are not leaving this room until I have answers!" Tess yelled, grabbing my arm to turn me around again. She folded her arms across her chest and waited, her lips pressed into a hard line.

"You want to know where I was tonight." I fumed, feeling the entire night crushing down on me, forcing me to act as I never had before. "You want to know where the fuck I was?"

I marched over to the coffee table and snatched up the remote. I turned on the TV and flipped around until I found the late night news. As I had hoped, the incident at the gas station was being covered. I threw the remote onto the couch and turned to Tess again.

"That's where I was!" I screamed, pointing at the TV; Tess flinched but tried to hold her ground. "I was in the exact same position my parents were six years ago! Same exact situation! Only I managed to survive! But I know _you_ don't give a shit!"

Tess dropped her arms at her sides and her mouth opened in surprise. She sputtered, her eyes darting from the TV to me a few times. I stood there, feeling the heat of six years worth of anger wash over me. Finally, Tess managed to speak.

"Of course I care," she whispered.

"Yeah, you care about whether I'm not I'm here to clean your house or cook your dinner," I shouted, positively shaking with anger. "You have never once cared about me as a person. But then you almost lose me—your maid—and suddenly you're upset? Bullshit! Total bullshit!"

I moved around the couch, intending to finally make it to my room, but Tess stopped me again.

"I'm sorry!" she yelled, sounding genuinely upset.

I closed my eyes, willing myself not to start shouting again. I wanted to calm down.

"For what?" I growled through gritted teeth.

"For everything," she said fervently, rushing through her words. "I never should have treated you this way; whether you're my family or not, you deserve better. In fact… I never should have _because_ you're not… not family."

I opened my eyes and turned around. Tess was standing with her head held high, looking almost arrogant, like she usually does. But I could tell, behind her cold eyes, that she really meant it. She really was sorry. What I didn't understand was that last part.

"Wait…what?" I whispered, trying to stay calm.

"Your mother… was not my sister," she said quietly. "She was my best friend in high school. Your only living relative—your dad's brother—was away on business when they died and I was the only person they had left to turn to. I had meant to give you over to him when he came back but… I never knew what happened to him."

I stared at Tess in utter disbelief.

"I don't… I don't believe you," I whispered, but as I said the words, I knew they weren't true. I did believe her; I just had a hard time doing so.

"Well, it's true," she said shortly, folding her hands in front of her and lifting her chin slightly.

"Then what… why did you…I don't understand," I stuttered, trying to make sense of it all.

"I don't have to explain myself to you!" Tess said in her usual brisk voice.

I wasn't sure what to say to that. Tess started rocking on her heels, looking uncomfortable. A knock at the door saved her.

Tess opened the front door to reveal a police officer. He looked like he was probably the youngest on the force. He was almost as muscular as the EMT I had seen. His skin was a russet color and it contrasted nicely with his bright, white smile. Above his dark eyes his short hair was silky and black. If I was being honest with myself, he really was rather good looking.

"Good evening, ma'am, I'm Officer Black," he said in a deep voice. "I'm sorry for the late hour but I came to speak with Ms. Swan, if she's available."

Tess looked at me and I nodded. I led Officer Black to the couch and we sat on opposite ends.

"May I call you Bella?" he asked, pulling out a notebook and pen. "You can call me Jacob."

"Sure," I answered distractedly; Tess had just handed me a large cup of tea.

"Just made it before you came home," she smiled.

I watched with my mouth hanging open as Tess went back into the kitchen and started cleaning the counters. Jacob had to clear his throat to get my attention.

"Now, Bella, I know it's been a long night," he said soothingly. "But, if you could, I'd like you to recount tonight's events, while it's fresh in your mind."

Over the next hour, I did my best to give all the important details. I tried to leave out a lot of my interaction with Edward but at times it was unavoidable. Jacob didn't say much but jotted down nearly everything I said. When I had finished, I set my empty mug of tea aside and sat back against the pillows of the couch.

"That's pretty much it," I said after Jacob had finished writing his final sentence.

"I'm a little confused," he said, flipping through his notebook. "Why do you think this man singled out you and Edward?"

I started slightly, trying to think if I had specifically said anything to lead him to believe that Daniel had done that.

"I don't know," I said slowly, thinking back. I didn't want to say what I really thought but I knew I needed to. "I guess because he was upset about his falling out with Sandy and to him… Edward and I looked like…."

"Like a couple?" Jacob finished for me, looking up at me through dark eyelashes.

I nodded, feeling the tears trying to come back again. I looked down, trying to hide my face. Jacob cleared his throat nervously and then stood up.

"Thank you for all your help, Bella," he said, putting a warm hand on my shoulder. I looked up at him and his eyes were soft and full of concern. "I really am sorry about what happened to you tonight. Let's hope it never happens again."

Jacob gave me a small smile; I smiled back tentatively.

He turned to leave. Tess rushed forward and opened the door for him. As he stepped out, Jacob paused and turned to me.

"I hope everything turns out alright… with everything," he said, giving me a significant look.

Jacob left me feeling confused and slightly wary. Did he know what happened between Edward and me? Did he know about the situation with Bridgette afterwards?

Tess came and sat down next to me, bringing a blanket with her. She wrapped it around me and smiled.

"I'm sorry, Tess, but I have to know: why the change of heart?" I asked bluntly, tired of all the unanswered questions running through my head.

"No need to be so ungrateful, Bella," Tess grumbled. "I've always been here for you and now, after you almost died the same way your parents did…"  
She paused, fidgeting with a stray thread on her pajama top.

"After I found out what happened tonight and the way you yelled at me made me realize I was wrong," she said simply. "I was impressed—you finally stuck up for yourself, grew a backbone. I actually think that if you had yelled at me years ago I would have realized then."

Tess gave a small, nervous laugh before she continued.

"I never really thought I'd lose you and when I found out that I almost did it helped me to finally understand something. I really do think of you more as a daughter than I realized."

Tess smiled, patted my arm and left the room. I still wasn't sure what it all meant but I did know something.

That crumbling feeling inside wasn't going away. In one night, I had fallen for someone—and fallen hard.

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**My pre-reader hates me for this ending… She's also pretty mad at Edward heh heh. I hope you all forgive me for this! I promise it'll get better soon—Edward Point of View is next! **

**Thank you, as always, for my amazing Beta for her work! It may take a while to get coordinated since she lives in the UK and I'm in California but I wouldn't give her up for anything!**


	4. Chapter 4: Bars, Booze and Babes

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are owned by Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended with the posting of this story.**

**Sorry for the slow update. I had meant to have this finished and posted by last week but I caught a nasty cold! And, of course, my file wouldn't upload right so I had to delete it so I'm sorry to the readers that got an update and didn't' see anything… But now here it is, Edward POV! This chapter is dedicated to my lovely pre-reader, Ecee.**

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Chapter 4: Bars, Booze and Babes

**::Edward::**

I couldn't believe it. Bella was actually talking the guy down. She sounded so confident, so sincere…and so sexy! She was even more amazing than I thought. When I had asked her biology teacher about her, he had told me she was real smart but shy, that she wasn't one to speak up unless she had something really important to say. I think that was why it had been so hard for me to try to talk to her. I spent weeks coming up with ideas of how to start a conversation with her and when I found out her weekly ritual of going by the gas station, I figured it'd be easy. But every time I had showed up to look for her, I lost my nerve. That wasn't like me but I was so afraid that I would scare her away.

One day, I even showed up at her school, intending to just be straight-forward with her and ask her out. But when I had gotten there, she was in a hurry to get to work and I didn't want to get her in trouble. I found myself following her to where she worked at a coffee shop and I spend the afternoon in the back of the little café, hat pulled low over my eyes while I listed to her joke around with the other guy that worked there, Todd. I got worried that maybe she was into him—until he tried get closer to her and she moved away coyly, blushing a lovely red color. I was beginning to love seeing her blush. It happened every time she got nervous.

I tried asking my friends what to do-I even asked my dad. But no one could think of the best way to approach her. I tried asking the other EMTs what do to but of course they all just made dirty jokes and snide remarks about my situation. I knew they thought I was crazy, even if they didn't want to admit it. I could also tell that a few of them were getting fed up with my constant Bella talk but I just...had to know her. Maybe I was finally getting that chance.

Once Bella got the guy to give up his gun, we made our way outside to the SWAT Team. It was cold and foggy outside and I could feel Bella shaking under my arm. I pulled her closer and the smell of her damp hair smelled like flowers. It was so intoxicating that I almost leaned in to take a sniff.

I didn't even get a chance to try. As soon as we were a few feet from the door, we were separated and led to ambulances on opposite sides of the parking lot. I gave Bella a reassuring nod before she was rushed away.

"Hey, buddy!" a voice boomed and I tore my eyes away from Bella's retreating form to see my good friend and co-worker, Emmett, come ambling over. He took Bella's place at my side and slung my arm over his massive shoulders.

"Hey, Em," I mumbled, shuffling alongside him.

"Exciting night, eh?" Emmett laughed; nothing seemed to trouble him.

"Yeah, it was a real hoot," I said sarcastically, wincing as he sat me down on the edge of the gurney.

"Who bandaged you?" he asked, lifting my leg to get a better look at the damage.

"Bella did," I said, sucking in a sharp breath as he pealed away the blood-soaked gauze.

"Not bad," Emmett nodded in approval. "Awesome gash! What did it?"

"Metal shelf," I grunted, getting annoyed at the moment with Emmett's blood and gore fascination.

"I'll let Carlisle stitch this one up," he said, checking my pulse and then shining a light into my eyes to check for a concussion.

"Yeah, he's better at it anyways," I joked.

"Just because he practiced stitching up raw chicken breast!" Emmett laughed loudly.

"You're just still upset that he didn't cook you up a fancy meal afterward."

Emmett guffawed loudly, moving on to checking my nose for any breaks.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of screeching tires. I wanted to see where it was coming from but stayed absolutely still so that Emmett could finish quickly and I could get back to Bella. I heard a door slam, followed by running footsteps.

A pair of small hands appeared out of no where, surprising Emmett so much that whoever it was managed to shove him out of the way—not an easy feat.

I was assaulted by the sickly sweet smell of vanilla as two thin arms locked in a vice-like grip around my neck.

Oh shit. It was Bridgette.

"Oh, Edward, Edward!" she sobbed, clinging to me. "I saw what happened on the news! Are you okay?"

"No, I'm not okay," I snapped, trying to push her away. "You shouldn't be here!"

"I was just so worried!" she cried, completely oblivious as to what I meant. "I had to come see you!"

"Bridgette, please!" I unhooked her arms from around my neck and shoved her away more forcefully. I looked across the parking lot, worried that Bella had seen and would make the obvious—yet totally wrong—conclusion.

Oh shit again. She _had_ seen and _had_ drawn the wrong conclusion.

"Ah," Emmett said, noticing the look Bella was giving me. "Bridgette, you really do need to leave."

My eyes locked with Bella's and I could see her big brown eyes fill with tears. I wanted to shout at her, to tell her it was nothing, but when I opened my mouth, no sound came out. I searched my brain, trying to think of what I could say to get her not to take another step back. But she did and then she turned and flew across the parking lot.

"Bella, no!" I leaped off the gurney, ignoring the searing pain in my leg. "Bella, please come back!"

"Whoa, Edward, calm down." Carlisle, the head EMT and my father, was suddenly at my side, pushing me back down. I unwillingly sat back down, knowing that I wouldn't be able to get far on this leg anyways. I kept calling after Bella until she closed her car door and sped off.

"Out of here, Bridgette," Emmett growled, seizing her around the waist and marching her away.

"Edward, what was that?" Carlisle asked, getting his supplies ready to stitch my leg. I couldn't stop staring at the spot where Bella had driven away, feeling for the first time in years my eyes start to tear up.

"That was Bella," I whispered.

"Well, I kind of figured that much," Carlisle laughed, injecting some local anesthetic around my gash. "Who is—ahhh!"

Carlisle looked up at me, his blue eyes full of understanding.

"_That_ Bella," he said simply.

"Yeah, but of course, Bridgette had to come here and fuck it all up," I said angrily, the tears replaced with anger. I balled my hands up into fists and pressed them into the side of my head.

"Language, son," Carlisle scolded. Though he's only my foster dad—which is why he lets me call him by his first name—Carlisle still doesn't like it when I swear.

"Sorry," I mumbled.

After Carlisle was finished, he went to check up on the other people from the store. Emmett came back over, shaking his head.

"Damn, that girl just would not leave!" he said, rummaging in the back of the ambulance. "Sorry, bro, don't have any crutches but we have this groovy cane. You'll look just like that one guy on TV…What's his name—oh, Dr. House! Ha!"

Emmett brought me a plain, brown cane—the old-fashioned kind that was real simple, just a curved piece of treated wood. I took it silently.

"Aw, c'mon, man!" Emmett complained, sitting on the gurney with me. "It's just some chick!"

"It wasn't just 'some chick'," I clarified, using my fingers to sketch quotation marks in the air. "This one is different. Seriously."

"Alright, alright, don't get all mushy on me," Emmett grumbled. "You already told me."

We sat in awkward silence for a few minutes but Emmett can never sit quietly for long.

"Hey, let's go out to the bar," he suggested, nudging my shoulder. "Jasper's is open late tonight—it's their fifteen year anniversary or something so I bet the first round will be on the house."

"I don't know," I muttered, knowing full well that Emmett's bar plan would include scoping for girls.

"At least come for a bit," Emmett pressed. "Might do you some good."

"Alright, fine," I sighed. Emmett clapped me on the back and after I spoke with the police for a few minutes and changed into a clean uniform, we got in the EMT van not transporting anyone to the hospital and drove across town to Jasper's.

It was strange to see the bar so active so early in the week but the bar had been planning their fifteenth year party for a while and decided they didn't care what day of the week it was to hold it. That's Jasper—he doesn't give a shit what anyone thinks.

Jasper, Emmett and I have been friends since grade school and when we were kids, Jasper's dad decided to start a bar but didn't know what to call it. He wanted to use just a name but his own didn't work—Julian's sounded to him like a fancy pub that the younger crowd wouldn't want to go to—so he used Jasper instead. Jasper's mom wasn't too happy.

Though Jasper worked in the bar almost full time since he turned seventeen, he didn't take over the bar until his dad had a stroke five years ago. Jasper wasn't even old enough to drink yet when he took over serving them.

The inside of the bar was packed. We walked up to the bar just in time for two stools to become vacant. I was about to order a beer when Jasper walked up and slammed down two shot glasses and a bottle of Vodka.

"Saw you on the news," he said in his slow, southern drawl; he filled both glasses with clear liquid. "I thought you might need something a bit stronger than beer today."

I was about to object but knew he had a point. We both threw back our shots and the same time. Jasper shook back his messy blonde hair and poured another round.

"Ah, my first shot of the night!" he said, laughing. "It's been crazy in here."

I nodded and quickly downed the next shot before Jasper had even raised his. I was never much for Vodka but the burning in my throat felt good tonight.

"Hey, where's mine?" Emmett complained, snatching the third shot Jasper poured out. Emmett downed it but I hesitated.

"Edward, I can tell you're shaken," Jasper said, leaning his elbows on the bar. "You need to relax."

"It's not just that, Jazz," I mumbled, barely audible over the loud music and talking. "It's… Bella."

"What about her?" he asked, wiping the bar with a dish towel.

"She was there, in the store with me," I said with a sigh, remembering how it felt to hold her close on that cold, hard floor.

"No shit!" Jasper cried and laughed, shaking his head. "So what happened? Is she alright?"

"Yes…and no," I answered dully.

"Things didn't work out?" he asked sympathetically. This is what I usually turned to Jasper for—the mushy stuff that Emmett didn't want to hear. Jasper had been dating Emmett's little sister since senior year and was always a southern gentleman when it came to the ladies. Emmett, on the other hand, was staying true to his character and was right at this moment openly checking out a girl's ass.

"It did until we got out. Then Bridgette showed up." I growled under my breath and grabbed the shot of Vodka. It went down smoother than the first two.

"I told you years ago to do something about her," Jasper said, shaking his head so his blonde hair flopped into his eyes. He brushed it back with his right thumb.

"Years ago she was only a teenager with this obsessive crush on me," I griped, reaching for the Vodka bottle. Jasper didn't even try to stop me when I splashed another shot into my glass.

"But now she's a woman," he laughed. "She's been technically stalking you since she turned eighteen. It's getting creepy."

He waited until I drank my shot and then replaced the bottle of Vodka with a bottle of beer. I grimaced, both at his words and the beer.

"I know you're a light-weight when it comes to the hard stuff," he explained.

I took a swig of the beer. It tasted bland after the hard liquor. I frowned again and turned around in my seat to stare moodily at the people still milling in through the door.

"What about that one? She has a nice rack! Or that one! Man, she has a tight ass…Oh, I'm digging the blonde—she has some sexy legs!"

Emmett was keeping up a running commentary of the girls in the bar. It was hard to tell if he was talking more to himself or me. I chugged my beer, wanting the Vodka back.

"Hey, hey! The blonde is coming over here!" Emmett crowed, nudging my shoulder. He leaned back against the bar, looking relaxed.

"Hi there," the blonde said when she reached us. I glanced up just enough to see that Emmett was right—she was pretty hot. The blonde curls at the bottom of her hair brushed the top of her boobs and she swept them back, obviously trying to give us a better view. Her skirt was so short that I bet you could see everything when she bent over.

"Hey," Emmett said, grinning like an idiot. "Can I buy you a drink?"

"I was actually hoping your friend might ask me that," she purred, reaching out and running her finger across my hand that was holding my beer. I pulled my hand back slightly and looked up at her politely.

"I'm Rose," she said, smiling at me and holding out a smooth hand.

"I'm Edward, this is Emmett," I said, gingerly shaking her hand. It felt ice cold.

When I didn't offer to buy her a drink, Rose scowled and turned her attention to Emmett. He quickly turned in his seat and called Jasper over.

"What can I get you, baby?" he asked, reaching for her hand.

"How about an apple martini?" she asked, giggling when Emmett pulled her closer. I saw Emmett's hand trail up her smooth, pale thigh. That was it for me.

"See ya," I mumbled, downing the last of my beer. I left the empty bottle on the bar, gave Jasper a small wave and started to hobble out of the room. Emmett didn't even notice.

I got halfway to the door when a short figure jumped out in front of me. I looked down at mostly cleavage spilling out of a low-cut shirt but when I raised my head slightly, a girl with dirty blonde hair was smiling up at me.

"Where do you think _you're _going?" she asked in a high-pitched voice.

"Uh, just leaving," I mumbled, trying to step around her; she put a hand on my arm to stop me.

"Come have a drink. It's my friend's birthday." She turned and beamed at a dark-haired girl in glasses who sat nervously at a table. "She just turned twenty-one and I'm trying to convince her to take a few shots with me."

The girl batted her eyes at me. They really were a pretty blue color but close up they seemed vacant. I longed for Bella's big brown eyes…

"I'm Jessica, by the way. And I'm buying," she purred, fanning herself with a few twenty dollar bills.

Damn, I wanted another drink.

"Sure," I said, forcing myself to smile. Jessica let out a squeal and raced off to the bar. I looked cautiously over my shoulder at Jasper but he was too busy to notice I had been talking with the girl buying drinks at the moment.

Jessica was soon back, trying to carry all three shot glasses at once. I hung my cane on my arm, took two of the shots from her and limped towards her friend with her.

"Look what I brought, Angela," Jessica said in a sing-song voice. "And I don't just mean the boy."

Jessica giggled wildly; Angela smile shyly at me.

"The boy's name is Edward," I smiled, setting the shot in front of her. "Happy Birthday, Angela."

"Thanks," she said quietly, eying her drink.

Jessica nudged her and grasped her shot glass. Angela took a deep breath and raised her own.

"To Angela!" Jessica declared.

We clinked classes and threw back our shots. Angela made a face but Jessica licked her lips and jumped up.

"Another?" she asked. Without waiting for an answer, she took off and was back in record time with a tray balancing three more shots, two Pina Coladas and a bottle of beer. I saw Angela's face lift at the sight of an easier drink.

"I thought you'd like this," Jessica said, setting out our drinks.

After taking our second—well, my sixth—shot, we started on our other drinks. I was feeling pretty tipsy and knew I needed to get out of here before I did something stupid but I couldn't bring myself to get back to real life. It had been a while since I'd been real drunk and I was now quickly on my way there. Jessica soon brought us another round and she and Angela started gossiping—the drinks really did open up this shy, dark-haired girl. I eyed her for a bit, wondering if I could settle for a different brunette, until I saw the ring on her left hand.

I frowned, again wanting more of the hard stuff, so when a waitress walked by carrying a tray of drinks for the table next to us, I stole a shot of Vodka off of it.

That last shot really hit me. I looked around the room and everything was so blurry that I swear every girl with dark hair in the room was looking like Bella. I kept staring at them, rather rudely, until I realized it wasn't her after all but I kept looking anyways, hoping I could find something at least physically I liked about them. I even stared at a girls ass as she walked away, trying to arouse some sort of interest. I felt nothing.

"I have to piss," I said suddenly, interrupting whatever the girls were talking about.

"Well, hurry back," Jessica said alluringly.

"Sure, whatever," I mumbled.

I stood up—or at least I think I did. I couldn't really feel my legs at all and the room was spinning so fast that I couldn't stop myself from swaying from side to side. I lifted my leg and slowly managed to take a step but when I did, my foot came down harder than I meant it to and I felt myself start to pitch forward. I grabbed a nearby chair to steady myself and heard a few people nearby laugh. I tried to walk forward again but I couldn't figure out how to walk right.

"Here you go, tiger," someone said to me and unexpectedly, three long sticks appeared in front of my face. They seemed to be floating and I reached for the one on the right—but my hand closed on nothing. I looked down at my empty palm and heard someone giggle.

The object was shoved into my hand and I finally understood that I needed my cane to walk. A tiny hand closed around mine and I looked down to see Jessica smiling vapidly up at me. I wanted to tell her to stop moving so much; I couldn't figure out which one of her faces to focus on.

"How about some help?" she asked sweetly, grabbing my arm.

I must really be a lightweight, like Jasper said. Jessica seemed so steady on her feet as she helped me towards the bathrooms while I almost tripped over my own feet on every other step we took. Then again, I had had at least five more shots than she had.

As we passed the bar, I tried to look for Jasper but every face was blurring together that I could only hope he wasn't noticing me. But my inattention caused me to fall right over an empty bar stool. Jessica laughed loudly as she tried to steady me again.

We reached the bathrooms and I paused, watching the many handles on the door spin in circles. I was sure there was only supposed to be one…

Jessica grabbed my arm, taking me by surprise, and pulled me towards the girl's bathroom. She practically threw me in and I just barely managed to catch myself on the row of sinks without falling completely on my face. I heard a loud click, followed by Jessica's laughter.

"Wait," I said slowly, noticing the flowers painted on the wall—flowers that were dancing, though I knew they shouldn't be. "Isn't this the little girl's room?"

"It sure is," Jessica said, spinning me around. She threw my cane on the floor and shoved me against the wall.

Reaching up on her toes, Jessica started kissing my neck and unbuttoning my shirt. She wasn't necessarily turning me on but maybe this is what I needed right now, just some fling in a public place.

I pulled her closer, lacing my fingers through her hair but they didn't get far. Her hair was so stiff with hairspray that I could hear it crackling under my hands. I let go quickly and rested my hand on her shoulder and then reached down to tug at her shirt. She took over and ripped her shirt off, revealing even more cleavage and boobs. I don't even know how that lacy bra held them in.

And for some reason, it did nothing for me. I let her start attacking my face with her lips and closed my eyes, trying to imagine her with dark hair and a tight little body. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop thinking of only one other girl.

"Come on, Edward," she whispered, biting at my neck—which was usually a huge turn on for me. "You're not even trying."

My eyes snapped open at the sound of her high-pitched, annoying voice. It was no where near the low purr of Bella's voice. I struggled to focus on her face. Her clear blue eyes had a slight drunken sheen to them under a ton of black eyeliner.

"This isn't working," I said, my words slurring together. I pushed her away gently. She took a step back, sticking out her lower lip in a pout. "Sorry," I mumbled.

She shrugged, apparently already over it, and handed my back my cane. She still hadn't put her shirt back on; she folded her arms over her massive chest, huffing in annoyance.

I stumbled to the door and tugged at the handle. It didn't move so I tugged harder.

"I locked it, Edward," Jessica said with an exasperated sigh.

"Oh, right." I looked blearily at the lock and fumbled with it for a moment. It made a loud click sound once I turned it the right way and the next thing I knew, I was standing in the middle of the parking lot outside.

It was then that I realized I had no way home. The EMT van was still in the lot but I knew Emmett wouldn't want to go anytime soon and if I was here any longer, I'd regret it. I groaned and searched my pockets for my cell, intending to call a cab, but then I remembered I had left it and my wallet in the other EMT van back at the convenience store.

"Fuck!" I yelled. I almost punched the wall of Jasper's but I didn't want to have to explain how I broke my hand to the hospital when everyone there knew me.

"Is that any way to talk in front of a lady?" a high, bell-like voice said behind me.

I turned around to see Alice, Emmett's little sister and Jasper's long-time girlfriend. She came skipping up to me, her black hair perfectly smooth around her pale face. She was wearing what she called her uniform when she came to work at Jasper's—black mini skirt, black tank top. She had on a ton of eye make-up but it suited her.

"Oh, hey Alice," I slurred, trying to stand without falling. I could feel myself swaying again.

"Edward Cullen," she said, putting her hands on her hips and shaking her head. "I've never seen you take so many shots before. What's going on with you?"

"Of course, you were watching," I mumbled, running my hand over my face and feeling myself sway dangerously again. I explained what happened with Bella and Bridgette. I was sure Jasper already told her about Bella and I was right.

"I'm sorry, Edward," she said soothingly, wrapping my arm around her shoulder and her own arm around my waist. She was surprisingly strong for such a small person. She couldn't be over five foot two and was stick-thin but she was able to hold me up straight. "How about I get you home?"

We made our way slowly to her yellow Porsche parked around the side of the bar. After helping me in, Alice got in and started the engine. She turned in her seat and fixed me with a hard stare.

"Edward, I know you're upset about this but you need to pull yourself together," she said seriously. "Jackie is planning on coming over tomorrow and she's going to be pissed if she sees you like this."

"Oh, shit," I groaned, leaning back in my seat. Jackie was Alice and Emmett's little sister. She absolutely adored me—and I adored her. She was only fifteen but she was the brightest, most grown-up teenager I had ever met.

"Yeah, so you better get home, take some Asprin and get in bed." Alice put the car in gear but then turned to me and frowned. "And you better not barf in my car!" she added.

I managed to make it back to my apartment without defiling Alice's leather seats. She sat in her car, watching me limp and wobble up to my front door, which was luckily on the first floor.

The place was dark. I flipped on a few lights and stood staring at the empty kitchen. I was trying to remember where that bottle of whiskey had gotten to….

I fount the bottle behind the cereal on top of the fridge and after I grabbed a small cup out of the cupboard, slumped down at the kitchen table and opened the bottle.

I soon lost track of how many shots I had taken.

* * *

_Bella stood in my doorway, wearing a fitted flannel shirt and jeans. I couldn't help but think she was the sexiest woman I had ever met, even dressed as plainly as this. _

_I didn't know what to say to her. She still looked angry about the whole Bridgette thing and I didn't know how to even start explaining it to her. _

_I got up from the kitchen table and walked tentatively towards her. Before I could say anything, though, she threw herself at me, wrapping her arms around my neck and crushing her perfect lips on mine. My hands went to her waist, to her lower back and I pressed her closer to me._

_She pulled away, breathing heavily, her eyes full of hunger. I reached up slowly and pulled at the top button of her shirt. She gave me a sly smile and I ripped the rest of the buttons off. I heard them scatter across the floor. She leaned her head back, moaning quietly and then—_

A loud banging sound pulled me back to reality. I heard another bang as I slipped off my chair and fell heavily on the floor. I looked around, slightly dazed. The chair I had been in was on its side and sunlight was streaming in through the front window. I wondered if I had imagined the sound that had interrupted such an amazing dream but I jumped slightly as I heard it again.

"Edward! I know you're in there!" I heard someone shout on the other side of the front door. It was Jackie.

I groaned and used the table to pull myself up. My leg and my head were throbbing and I felt like the sunlight was stabbing my eyes. I limped to the front door and unlocked it, wincing at the loud click sound. I opened it to see a girl barely over five feet tall with dark hair down to her waist. He big, round brown eyes looked up at me reproachfully and I knew that she could tell I was hung-over.

"Good morning?" I said sheepishly. Jackie rolled her eyes and shoved her way past me. She stopped when she saw the half empty bottle of whiskey on the table. The cup I had been using was on its side, spilling a few drops of liquor on the table.

"Edward…" Jackie sighed. She continued to the table and picked up the bottle. She made a face as she screwed the cap back on. After she put the bottle and the empty glass on the counter, she turned and looked at me.

"Sit," she ordered, pointing at the chair that had served as my bed that night.

I silently obeyed. I put my head in my hands, rubbing my eyes. I felt like my head was about to explode; I wanted to go back to sleep. I could hear Jackie rummaging around the kitchen—every tiny sound echoed loudly in my head. The sound of the water running in the sink like a roaring waterfall.

I flinched as I heard a glass being set noisily in front of me. I opened my eyes to a large class of water. Jackie held her hand out in front of me; two Asprins sat on her palm. I sighed and scooped them up. Jackie sat down across from me, folding her arms on the table.

"Did you have fun last night?" she asked me sarcastically.

It may sound weird, but I love listening to this girl talk—even when she's annoyed. She spent the first twelve years of her life traveling the world with her mother but spent most of her travels in Spanish speaking countries. As a result, Jackie spoke with a slight Spanish accent. She moved back to the states when her parents decided to reunite and surprisingly, their marriage was working the second time around. Emmett and Alice had stayed with their father and were thrilled to have their little sister back permanently.

"I guess you could say that," I mumbled, chugging my water. "By the way, you look extra cute this morning."

"Shut up! You can't butter me up this morning," Jackie snapped, straightening her blue sweater over her jeans. I could see a smile tugging at her lips.

"Why are you here anyways?" I asked, though I knew the answer. I was just trying to avoid giving away my reasons for drinking.

"Well, obviously, I saw the news and wanted to make sure you were okay," Jackie said matter-of-factly. She looked down at my leg.

"Just a scratch," I said, waving my hands dismissively.

"What about things with Bella?" Jackie asked, raising an eyebrow. "Did you ever find her? Did she show up like you thought she would?"

"How did you…" I shook my head. My brain was too muddled to work out how she knew so I just gave in. "She was there, alright. We spent the whole wonderful evening together." I laughed bitterly and then continued, "But now, things with Bella are kind of…I don't know. She caught me with Bridgette. Or rather caught Bridgette throwing herself at me."

"When are you just going to put a restraining order on that stalker?" Jackie asked in an exasperated voice.

"We practically grew up next to each other, I just can't—"

"Oh, yes you can!" Jackie cut me off. "For all you know, Bella is the one. Are you really going to throw all that away just because you're too nice to get rid of some crazy bi—"

"Hey!" it was my turn to cut her off. "You know how I feel about you swearing."

"You do it," she mumbled, shifting in her chair.

We sat in silence for a few minutes. My head was hurting so badly that I felt like I was looking through a thin cloud. Everything had a slight haze to it. I groaned and put my head down on the table, squeezing my eyes shut.

"That's what you get for getting drunk," Jackie said smugly.

I looked up at her and frowned, though I knew she had a point.

"Shouldn't you be in school?" I asked.

"I came by on lunch," she shrugged.

I looked around at the clock on the microwave; the neon numbers burned my eyes. It was just past noon. I pressed my fingertips into my temples and closed my eyes again.

"Now what?" Jackie asked quietly. I shook my head once. "Do you want to know what I think you should do?"

"I'm sure you'll tell me anyways," I said, giving a small smile but keeping my eyes closed.

"Yes, I will," she said and I could hear the smile in her voice. "I think you should go after her. Make her listen."

"And how, my dear, do you think I can do that?" I asked, opening my eyes slowly. "Just grab her and force her to listen? I don't even know where she lives!"

I suddenly got the vision of Bella in my arms again, my hands gripping her shoulders, her shirt unbuttoned—

No, Edward! You have a fifteen year old sitting in front of you!

"You're an EMT and your roommate is a cop—I'm sure you can track her down. As for what to say to her? You're sweet, you're charming… you can do it," she said simply. She glanced at her watch and stood up. "I have to get back to school."

I stood too and shuffled alongside her to the door. We stood and stared at each other for a moment.

"I'm glad you're kind of okay," Jackie said, wrapping her arms around my waist.

"I'll be fine, honey, don't worry," I said, kissing the top of her head and squeezing her back.

She started to turn away but then looked back at me.

"Who's whiskey was that?" she asked sharply.

"Oh, um… Jacob's," I mumbled.

"I can't believe you still live with that guy," Jackie shook her head and then pointed a finger at me. "No more hard liquor!"

"Yes, Jackie," I said with a chuckle.

Jackie nodded once and skipped down the walkway.

Once she was gone, I re-filled my water glass. After I drank it down, I felt a bit better. My head still ached and my leg was still searing but the fog of pain was thinning.

I limped off to the bathroom to shower, hoping the hot steam would clear my head. If I was going to try to get Bella back, I needed to think of a plan.

Halfway through my shower, I heard the front door slam shut and then the bathroom door open.

"Morning, sunshine!" shouted Jacob, my roommate. I winced at his loud entrance.

"Up yours," I shot back at him.

"Rough night, eh?" I heard him start brushing his teeth

"Yeah," I answered shortly.

"I didn't see you take off. Where'd you go?"

"Jasper's," I admitted grudgingly.

"Damn, without me?" he chuckled and spit nosily in the sink.

I didn't answer. I stood directly under the water, hoping that Jacob would get the hint and just leave.

"Aww, come on," he said; I could hear him pissing in the toilet. "Is that any way to treat the guy who knows where your true love lives?"

"Wait, what?" I asked, pausing in the act of scrubbing my chest with a bar of soap. "Are you… are you serious?"

"Who do you think was the officer that volunteered to follow her home and question her about your little adventure?" he said happily. I heard the rattle of the toilet handle as he flushed.

"Gah! Asshole!" I yelled and jumped out of the stream of water as it turned ice cold. I let my fingers run under the water until it turned hot again and then quickly finished washing. After I dried, I threw on my boxers and hurried as quickly as my bum leg would allow to my bedroom.

I pulled on the first clean pair of jeans I could find off my messy floor and pulled a plain white t-shirt out of the top drawer of my dresser along with a pair of socks. I hobbled out to the living room, grabbing the first aid kit out of the bathroom on my way. I found Jacob standing in the middle of the kitchen with a bowl of cereal.

"Dude, you drank my whiskey?" he asked, pointing at the bottle with his spoon.

"Oops," I said sarcastically and he frowned at me.

I sat heavily on the couch and checked the stitches in my leg. They were still holding and there was no sign of infection so I cleaned the area and re-bandaged with the supplies from my kit.

"So, now what?" Jacob asked around a mouthful of food.

"Now… I have no fucking idea," I said, pulling on my t-shirt.

"Want her address?"

"That'd be a start," I mumbled, putting on my socks. I leaned back on the couch and looked around a Jacob. "Got any smokes?" I asked.

"I thought you quit," he said, digging in his pockets. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes and tossed them to me.

"I thought I did too." I grabbed a lighter off the coffee table in front of me and shook out a cigarette. I put it between my lips, lit the end and took a drag. The smoke burned my throat as it made its way into my lungs. I exhaled with a groan.

"What did Jackie say to do?" Jacob asked, taking another bite of cereal; I raised my eyebrow at him. "I saw her come by and I know she thinks she knows it all."

"Shut up," I snapped, taking another pull on my cigarette. "She's a smart girl."

"She hates me, how can she be smart?" Jacob said and chuckled at his own joke.

"She says I should just go after Bella," I explained, ignoring his jab at Jackie. "That I should find a way to just make her listen."

"Huh…" Jacob's eyebrows pulled down in confusion and then his face split into a grin. "Good luck! I heard her yelling at her aunt before I knocked on her door. She's a tough one! Real feisty."

"That doesn't sound like her." I sat up and leaned my elbows on my knees. I placed my cigarette between my thumb and forefinger and used my middle finger to tap off the ash into a glass bowl on the coffee table.

"You've had one night with her," Jacob said, walking across the living room and sitting down next to me. He shoveled another spoonful of food into his mouth. "I mean I'll admit, you can sure give Bridgette a run for her money with all this stalking business but still, how would you know what she's really like?"

I glared at him. He opened his eyes wide and held up one hand in surrender.

"I just know," I said simply, taking one last puff and scrubbing out the cigarette in the ashtray. I stood up and went to search for my cane in the kitchen. "I'll be back later."

"Here—" Jacob set down his bowl and used a pen to scribble on the corner of the newspaper sitting on the coffee table. He tore it off and handed it to me. "There's her address. And hey, if you have to, just throw her over your lap and use your cane to smack her ass until she believes you!"

Jacob laughed loudly. I just rolled my eyes at him and grabbed my keys off the hook by the door. I limped out to my silver Volvo, got in and started the engine. I sat for a few minutes, struggling to come up with a plan. After about ten minutes, I still had nothing. I peeled away from the curb, hoping something would come to me as I drove across town.

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**I hope no one is mad at Edward anymore… I know my pre-reader was! Let's just hope he can get Bella to believe him…**

**Thank you to my amazing Beta and to all my readers! And remember, reviews are always welcome! :)**


	5. Chapter 5: Distractions and Revelations

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are owned by Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended with the posting of this story.**

**First of all, I'd like to give my deepest apologies in the hopes you can all forgive me... I never meant to wait so long to update and it'll never happen again!**

**And now, please give a warm welcome to our Guest Beta! I love my Beta dearly but its close to the holidays and I know she has a family to take care of so my bestest friend agreed to set aside her position as Pre-Reader to fix my mistakes. This is a one time deal, I'm not about to give up my darling Lisa, but I think our guest did an amazing job! Thank you, my dear Ecee!**

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**::Bella::**

I did my best to sleep that night but I only managed a few hours. Every time I closed my eyes, Edward was there, with those perfect green eyes, that straight jaw line, those strong arms…

By dawn, I gave up trying to sleep. I took my time getting ready for the day, waiting for Tess to leave. I wasn't sure if her nice streak had worn off yet and I wasn't sure whether or not I wanted it to.

I tried to distract myself with cleaning but nothing worked. I couldn't stop myself from being mad at myself for falling for a guy so quickly. That wasn't me; I never did things like that. Why him? Why now?

Finally, it was nearly one and time to leave for work. Julie, the owner of the coffee shot, left a message on the answering machine, letting me know I didn't have to work but I needed to get out of the house and stay busy.

The fog from the night before had turned into rain and by the time I was ready to go, it was pouring out. I tugged my jacket close, pulled my hood up and hurried out to my car. I jammed the keys into the lock and threw myself in. I put the keys in the ignition and lowered my hood, taking a few deep breathes. I needed to put _him_ out of my mind so that I could concentrate on getting across town in one piece. I turned the keys and heard a click but the engine didn't start.

"No, not today!" I groaned, pulling the latch to pop the hood. I climbed out and rushed to the front of the car. I wrenched the hood open and propped it open with the metal bar.

"Can I be of some assistance?" a voice said behind me and I jumped, nearly hitting my head on the hood.

Spinning around, I found myself face to face with Edward. I felt my breath catch as I watched the rain pour down his flawless face, dripping off his perfect lips that were pulled up in a slight smirk. I shook my head and looked down, noticing that he was leaning heavily on a cane. I turned away angrily.

"Leave me alone, Edward," I snapped, brushing my wet hair out of my face and looking down to see why my car wouldn't start. I noticed one of my battery cables had come lose to I reached down to try to re-attach it.

"Wait, don't—"

Edward reached for me just as I touched the cable and it distracted me just enough that I touched the wrong part and got a big shock.

"Ouch!" I yelled, jumping back. I looked down at my fingers and saw that the tips of them were bright red. I swore under my breath and shook my hand a few times, as though I was trying to shake off the pain.

Edward rushed over to me, holding his hand out for mine.

"Let me see," he murmured. When I tried to step away, he grabbed my hand and held it close to his eyes. "Don't be such a baby," I heard him mumble.

I shifted uncomfortably from side to side. Edward peered intently at my fingers for a few moments, reached into his pocked and pulled out a small package of antibiotic ointment.

"You carry ointment around with you?" I asked, raising my eyebrow.

"You never know when you'll need it," Edward shrugged, ripping open the package with his teeth. He squeezed some out on the tips of my fingers and spread it slowly. I felt my insides squirm.

"I'm sorry about last night," Edward said softly, keeping his eyes on his work.

"For what?" I asked, trying to sound indifferent.

"I should have told you," he said so quietly I almost couldn't hear him over the rain still coming down hard. "I'm sorry you found out that way…"

"What's so hard about saying you have a girlfriend?" I asked in a shaky voice, wanting to pull away again, but he held my fingers tightly.

"But I don't," he said sharply, looking up at me. His green eyes blazed.

"But I saw—Bridgette, she—and you—you," I stuttered, lost in his intense gaze. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I wrenched my fingers out of his grip and went back to my car. I started to re-attach the battery again but Edward flung his arm out and pushed me back.

"Let me do this, please," he pleaded.

I crossed my arms across my chest and huffed at him. He swiftly reached into my car, pulled the keys out of the ignition and dropped them on the seat. Then, he went back to the battery and fit the cable back in its proper place. He dropped the hood back down, spraying us with bits of water. I tried to walk around him to get into my car finally but he caught my arm and turned me to face him.

"Bella, please, listen to me!" he said in a strained voice.

"No, Edward!" I shouted. "You lied to me! You didn't tell me about her but you led me on, all night long! You hurt me…"

My voice cracked and I looked away, glad that the rain running down my face would hide the tears now streaming down my cheeks.

"Bella, I never…" Edward's face contorted in pain and he slowly released my arm. I seized my chance.

"Just leave me alone, Edward," I choked out. I spun around, climbed in the car and started it. The engine caught quickly and I sped away. I did my best not to look in the review mirror but I could see, out of the corner of my eye, Edward still standing just where I had left him, his brow furrowed in frustration. At the stop sign at the end of the block, I chanced a full look at him in the mirror. Even from down the block, I could see him hang his head, looking heartbroken. I almost turned around and raced back to him but I turned my head away with determination and continued driving.

I got lucky when I got to work and the girl I was relieving was in too much of a hurry to leave to notice how late and upset I was. She left with a cheerful goodbye as I went to hang my soaked jacket on the coat rack by the bagel display. I grabbed a clean dish towel and mopped up my face. I wrung my hair out over the sink by the fridge and turned around to see someone standing at the counter.

"Hey, Bella," said Jacob, smiling his perfectly white teeth.

"Oh, hey," I said weakly, pretending to busy myself with the blender. "Do you know what you'd like?"

"Yes. To see you smile."

I spun around, sure that I misheard him. But there he was, standing there, dressed in his cop uniform just like before, smiling slyly at me. He winked and I couldn't help but smile.

"Seriously, Jake, what can I get for you?" I asked, desperate to keep myself busy.

"Well, if you insist," he said, with a theatrical sigh, squinting up at the menu board. "How good are your lattes?"

"A latte?" I asked with a snort. "Big, tough cop like you wants a _latte?"_

"To be honest, I'm not big on coffee," he said, shrugging and looking down.

"Then, why did you come in here?" I asked slowly.

"I told you," he said, looking up again, giving a small smile. "To see you."

I gaped at him, at a loss for words, and felt my face flush hotly. I turned away, trying to hide my face as I busied myself with the coffee machine. I fumbled around a bit, clumsily putting together a latte. I tried not to look at Jacob, who was standing with his hands folded neatly on the counter and that same goofy smile on his face. He didn't laugh when he saw me spill some milk but I thought I saw the corners of his mouth twitch. Finally, I set down a steaming cup in front of him and punched in the amount on the register. After I gave him back his change, Jacob blew on the foam covering the surface of his drink and took a small sip.

"Well?" I asked impatiently. He pulled a look of deep concentration onto his face and took another sip, staring at a spot just over my head. I folded my arms across my chest, tapping my finger on my arm.

"Hmm," he said slowly, lowering his cup. "Not bad."

"Not bad?" I asked incredulously. "All that and all I get is _Not bad?_ You're so strange, Jacob…"

Jacob smiled hugely and I couldn't help but laugh.

My day passed by much quicker than I could have hoped. Jacob ended up staying at the coffee shop all day, sitting at a table near the front counter. At first, I felt a little awkward. I had only had one close encounter with the opposite sex and though it didn't last long, it didn't end well. I tried not to think of that man that I had spent an entire evening with the night before and, thankfully, Jacob didn't bring it up. He made lots of jokes and told lots of interesting stories about being in the force and I found myself laughing with him, asking questions to which I genuinely wanted to know the answers to, and telling a few stories of my own. I didn't tell him about my hard life with Tess but I did tell him a few tidbits about my cousins and was amused to find out that Jacob had actually had a few run ins with my older cousin George when he was drunk.

By the evening, I had almost forgotten that I was at work. It was a slow day and not many people came in so I spent most of the time at the table with Jacob, bringing him a few different coffee drinks to try. I had fun watching him pull faces when he tried a raspberry mocha, which he deemed too "girly" of a drink for him.

I was sad when it was time to close up for the night. Jacob cheerfully helped me clean the tables and put up all the chairs and walked me out to my car. I was reluctant to get in it and leave.

"Well, I had a great time with you today," I said, cringing internally at how cheesy I sounded.

"I did too," Jacob laughed, leaning against my car. "Do you work again tomorrow?"

"Yeah… Hey, wait, weren't you supposed to be working today?" I asked, eying the uniform he was wearing.

"Naw," he said, waving his hand. "I worked the weird shift—you know, midnight to noon. I just didn't bother to go home and change."

"You must be exhausted," I said kindly, though I couldn't detect any sign of weariness on his cheerful face.

"Why do you think I wanted to try all those different coffees all day?" he said quietly, leaning forward slightly. I smiled shyly, looking down at the keys in my hand.

"Guess I'll… see you later then?" I mumbled; I was surprised at how sad I sounded.

Suddenly, I felt a warm hand under my chin as Jacob coaxed my face up.

"Are you alright, Bella?" he asked softly, his face full of concern.

"I'm…"

I wanted to tell him I was just fine, nothing was wrong, but I couldn't bring myself to say the words. I tried to pull my face away but he held it tightly. I could feel my eyes starting to tear up and finally answered him honestly.

"I don't know," I said in barely more than a whisper.

Jacob lowered his hand slowly, his dark eyes not leaving mine. He frowned and sighed heavily.

"Do you need someone to talk to?" he asked.

"No, I'm fine, I'm alright," I answered quickly, wiping impatiently at the tears now falling. "I'm just… tired. I just need to get some sleep."

Jacob took a small step forward and I kept my eyes down.

"Bella…" he said softly; I looked up and wished I hadn't.

Jacob had that same determined look on his face that Edward had had right before he kissed me. I couldn't hear anything over the pounding of my heart in my ears. I started to breathe faster as Jacob moved even closer. He lifted his hand slowly to push my hair over my shoulder and left it on the side of my neck; I shivered involuntarily at the warmth of his touch. He searched my eyes intently, as though trying to decipher what I was really feeling. I closed my eyes briefly, trying to control the shaking of my limbs.

"I'll be back tomorrow," he said quietly. I opened my eyes again and felt myself nod stupidly. He smiled, brushed his hand across my cheek and walked away.

It took a few moments for me to realize I wasn't breathing properly. I took a deep, shuddering breath and looked over my shoulder. A police cruiser down the street was pulling slowly away from the curb. I large hand waved at me from the window and I gave a small wave back.

Dazedly, I got into my car. I shook my head experimentally, wondering if I'd feel this way any boy showed interest in me. But then I thought of Todd and how he had supposedly flirted with me for years. Perhaps it wasn't the same because I hadn't noticed it and hadn't felt anything back…

Thinking of Todd made me instantly start to worry. I hadn't seen or heard from him in days and instinctually looked around for his truck, expecting it to be in front of Jasper's but it was no where in sight. I frowned and started the engine.

When I got to the house, it was dark. I was a little wary as to what I would find when I got inside but it was starting to rain and I didn't want to get caught in it again.

I let myself into the house and flipped on the lights. Everything was quiet and when I looked around, I found a note taped to the fridge. I sighed heavily, dropped my purse on the floor and walked over to check what it said.

As I suspected, it was a note from Tess. It was very short and read:

_Pizza is in the fridge. The boys and I went to see Lady Gaga in concert. We'll be back tomorrow._

I stared at the note incredulously, sure that I was imagining things. For one thing, I didn't think that George or even Simon would be caught dead at a Lady Gaga concert. George was twenty-one and too preoccupied to do anything other than party and Simon was sixteen and into nothing but video games. I was also confused at the fact that Tess not only ordered pizza—her number one most hated food—but that she made sure to save me some.

I opened the fridge to find a plate with three pieces of pizza on it and a soda right next to it. I pulled out the plate and sniffed at the food; it smelled safe enough and my stomach growled audibly at the smell of the pepperonis. I shrugged, grabbed the soda and sat down on the couch.

I was about to start on my third piece of pizza, though I was already stuffed, when someone knocked on the door. If knocks could sound nervous, this one sure did. I glanced at the clock and saw that it was barely after nine 'o clock. Jacob was sure to be passed out by now, we had parted over an hour ago. I suddenly thought of Bridgette and my heart started beating wildly at the idea of seeing her, let alone talking to her face to face.

The knock came again and I stood slowly and cautiously went to answer. I took a deep breath and pulled open the door.

I blinked in surprise to see Charlie, the truck driver, standing on my front porch. He had one hand raised as though he was going to knock again and he put it down quickly when he saw me.

"Oh, hey, Bella," he said, sounding just as surprised as I was to find him at my house. "How… How's it going?"

"Not bad," I answered and he shifted uneasily, avoiding my gaze. His brow was furrowed and he looked almost scared to be standing there. He ran a shaky hand over his face, looking thoroughly uneasy. "Would you like to come in?" I asked, feeling just as nervous as he looked.

"Uh, sure, yeah," Charlie said nervously, stepping around me into the house.

I closed the door and gestured to the couch. We both sat down, feeling very awkward. Charlie kept looking around, as though he recognized where he was. I started picking at one of the couch cushions, pulling out little pieces of thread and watching them float down to the carpet.

"So… what's up?" I asked when he didn't say anything.

"Is anyone home?" he asked, noticing the remains of my solitary dinner.

"No, it's just me," I told him, aware that his forehead was starting to sweat a little. "Charlie, is everything okay? You seem really nervous."

"You could say that," he mumbled quietly, wiping his sweaty palms on his jeans. He looked around the room again and said in a shaky voice, "So, uh… this is where you live? W-who do you live with?"

"Um… my Aunt Tess and her two sons, George and Simon," I answered, a little confused and taken aback. I felt the need to say more so I said, "They're away at a concert right now though."

"Oh, right," Charlie said, nodding distractedly. "Do you get good grades?"

"Well, yeah, I graduated early," I said quietly, fidgeting with a particularly long piece of thread from the cushions.

"Do you, you know, go to college now?" Charlie asked, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. I nodded, which seemed to please him. "Good, good."

"So… how long have you been part of the trucking business?" I asked, glancing up at him to see him picking at the cuff of his jacket.

"Oh, a little over twenty years," he said, looking up at me with a curious look in his eyes, like he was expecting me to realize something from this. When I continued to look at him blankly he cleared his throat and changed the subject. "So, how have you been since, you know… what happened."

I didn't really want to go into how lonely I had been feeling and how I had this strange desire to be trapped again, just so that I could have Edward all to myself, even though it had all turned out to be a lie. So I settled with a partial truth.

"Just been trying to keep busy, you know, to keep my mind off things—"

"Bella, I'm your father," Charlie interrupted.

I blinked at him, positive that I didn't hear him right. He wasn't looking at me, rather he was looking down at his feet, rubbing the back of his neck with his brow furrowed. I couldn't think of what to say. I opened my mouth, closed it, and then opened it again, finding my voice.

"You're k-kidding, right?" I stuttered, feeling a little dizzy.

"N-no, I'm not," Charlie answered, still not looking at me and while his face was turning bright red, the color was completely draining out of mine.

"Charlie, my parents died years ago," I said, giving a weak chuckle. "Its… impossible, there's no way…"

I trailed off. Charlie lifted his eyes but didn't look right at me.

"Things… happen, Bella," he said quietly.

"But…how?" I said, sounding slightly hoarse.

"Oh, I thought you understood that…" he said, flushing deep red and looking away again. "You see, your mother and me… Years ago, we got, together and we…"

"Oh, oh! Charlie!" I cut him off abruptly, holding up my hands. "I don't mean the _specifics_, I just meant, like… Well, my mother was married to my father—a different man."

"Right, well, about that," Charlie said, looking relieved but not by much. I could tell this was hard for him to say. "You see, just before your parents got married, your mother and I… had a night together, so to speak."

"But… how did you know each other?" I asked hesitantly.

"I was your dad's best friend," he said quietly, staring at the floor. "We actually both had a thing for your mother but I could tell that he was in love with her right from the start. Instead, I went for your mother's best friend. I could tell she didn't like me all that much but seemed happy enough to double date so—"

"Wait!" I said suddenly, making Charlie jump in surprise and look up at me. "Was Tess this friend of hers that you dated?"

Charlie nodded, looking a little scared. I gestured for him to continue.

"Anyways," he said gruffly, resuming his inspection of the carpet. "One night, your parents got into a huge fight and your dad left. Your mother called me, really upset, and asked me to come by. We opened a bottle of wine; she spilled about what was going on…Well, one thing led to another…"

Charlie spread his hands, looking up at me in an apologetic kind of way. I suddenly had an idea and I decided who better to ask than Charlie?

"I just… d-don't believe this… m-m-mom wouldn't r-really…" I stuttered, looking around wildly, hoping someone was about to jump out and yell _Gotcha!_ But there was only Charlie, rubbing the back of his neck nervously again, looking anywhere but at me

"Charlie…" His name fell uncertainly from my tongue now. "Does my dad have any brothers?"

"No, he was an only child, as was your mother," he said, frowning. "Who ever told you he had a brother?"

"Tess," I said, gritting my teeth. I took a deep breath and asked the other thing that suddenly popped into my head. "And… Does anyone know that I'm your… your daughter?"

"Only Tess and your mother," he said solemnly.

"Were you at the funeral?" I asked quietly, racking my brain to figure out if I had seen him before. I came up blank.

"Yeah, I was," Charlie said, clearing his throat nervously. "And I had wanted to talk to you, to tell you who I was but I just… couldn't. I saw you leaving with Tess and I figured you'd be happier with her."

"But I wasn't," I burst out, causing Charlie to look at me in alarm. "I never have been! Why didn't you find me? Why didn't you ever tell me? Why didn't anyone tell me? Hell, this is _my _life! Don't I have _any _control over… over anything?"

I was suddenly on my feet, my hands balled up at my sides, looking down at Charlie who sat meekly, his mouth opened in surprise and his eyes were bugging out of his head in shock.

"Bella, I never… I never knew that," he said quietly. "I just didn't want to make life hard for you, didn't want to cause you any more grief."

"Well, you were wrong!" I shouted. I strode over to the door, wrenched it open and stared pointedly at Charlie. I was breathing heavily through my nose, positively fuming. I was gripping the door handle so tightly it hurt.

Charlie looked down and he looked so hurt that I almost apologized and closed the door again. I knew I had no real reason to be angry with Charlie but I couldn't help it. I didn't know how long I'd be able to hold everything in.

I gripped the doorknob tighter still, staring straight ahead and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Charlie leave something on the coffee table, stand and walk over to me.

"I don't have a very big place," he said softly. "But I do own an apartment complex across town. I left my card on the table. If you ever… you know, need someplace to stay, you can have one of the empty apartments. Just… think about it."

I nodded curtly and Charlie left, pulling his collar up against the rain.

After I closed the door, I walked back to the couch on shaky legs.

How much more could I take? First being stuck in that store, and then falling for someone just long enough for him to break my heart, then Tess's confession, Jacob's flirting and now this? I felt like my brain was going to explode.

I collapsed onto the couch, knowing it was much too early for bed but not caring. I squeezed my eyes shut and hoped that I could shut my mind down enough for sleep. Sooner than I could have hoped, my exhaustion carried me off into oblivion.

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_Edward stood in front of me, perfectly flawless, just as I remembered him. Maybe even more perfect than I remembered. He was wearing his EMT uniform again and smiling serenely at me. I couldn't see anything other than him; it was almost like we were surrounded in a white cloud. I wanted to touch him, to feel his smooth, ivory skin and to slide his soft, silky copper locks between my fingers but I was afraid to move, to shatter the perfect vision._

_I couldn't stand it any longer and took one step forward. The instant I did, another figure appeared out of the mist. _

_It was Bridgette._

_She walked up to Edward, her strawberry blonde hair blowing around her freckled face, and wrapped her arms around him. He turned to her right away and embraced her. Their lips met, briefly at first, and then more passionately. She raked her fingers into his hair and tugged forcefully, causing a moan filled with desire to emanate from Edward as he felt down her lower back, greedily squeezing her left ass cheek and then he tugged at the bottom of her shirt—_

"NO!" I shouted, sitting bolt upright on the couch. I was breathing hard and my face was drenched in sweat. I looked around the room wildly, expecting to see someone lurking in the other room; there was no one there.

I looked at the clock and was surprised to see that I had not only slept through the night but also through most of the day. My shift at the coffee shop was going to start in half an hour.

I jumped off the bed and raced into the bathroom. I showered hastily, running the water as hot as I could, hoping the scalding hot water would burn away the remnants of the dream out of my mind. I didn't even bother to dry my hair or put on makeup before I hurried to the kitchen. After a quick bowl of cereal I grabbed my things and was out the door.

I was lucky it was Saturday; the coffee shop was packed and all thoughts of Edward, real or dream, was driven out of my mind. I worked non-stop all afternoon and didn't get a break for a few hours. I plopped down onto the stool behind the counter, exhausted despite the fact that I had slept hours longer than I normally did, and took a drink of my coffee.

"Hey, there!"

I looked up to see Jacob standing at the counter. He wasn't wearing his cop uniform today; he was dressed in a long sleeved black shirt that was just tight enough to accent his large muscles and dark jeans. I caught myself momentarily ogling his change in appearance before pulling myself together and answering him.

"Hey, Jake, I almost forgot you were going to show up," I said.

"Aw, forgetting about me now?" he asked with mock sorrow.

"I could never forget you," I answered and flushed pink. Jacob just smiled.

The day passed about the same as the day before except that around six-thirty, the owner showed up and told me to go relax. I didn't want to leave—both the job and Jacob was keeping my mind preoccupied—but I couldn't argue with the boss. I grabbed my things and left, probably looking just as down as I felt, so I was very confused to see Jacob positively bouncing out the door with me.

"What are _you_ so happy about?" I grumbled at him.

"Well, now you're free to go out with me," he said happily.

"Wait, what?" I asked, skidding to a halt. Jacob kept walking a few steps before he noticed I had stopped.

"Is that alright?" he asked, turning to me and looking slightly worried. "I was thinking we could go get dinner or something…"

Jacob trailed off, looking down at his feet. He shrugged and attempted to give me his usual goofy grin.

"Hey, no sweat," he said, perhaps a little more upbeat than he meant to. "If you have plans with someone else or something, I'll find something else to do."

"No, no plans," I mumbled, fiddling with my keys.

"Do you… have someone else you'd rather go out with?" he asked hesitantly.

I wanted to answer him honestly and it was hard not to. If truth be told, yes, there was someone I wanted to go out with but did I want to go out with him more than Jacob? Jacob had been so nice the past two days and he seemed genuinely interested in taking me out. Would it really be so bad? If I had been in an actual relationship that required time to heal after the breakup, I would have told Jacob no. But I hadn't been with Edward for more than that one night…

"Sure, what'd you have in mind?" I asked cheerfully. Jacob beamed and he looked so happy that I felt happier too.

"How about something simple?" he asked, walking back to me and putting his hand on my lower back. I blushed at his warm, easy touch and let him lead me partway down the street.

He stopped in front of a shiny black motorcycle and I felt my jaw drop. It wasn't incredibly tall but to me it looked huge. It had a large black leather seat for the driver and a smaller seat near the back wheel with a short bar that acted as a backrest. Jacob opened up one of the plastic covers near the backseat to reveal a compartment and pulled out two small black helmets. He held one out to me with a smile.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his smile fading.

"I thought you said something _simple_," I said, my voice sounding slightly shaky.

"Oh, I didn't even think about this," he admitted, his arm dropping slightly. "Would you rather take your car?"

"No!" I exclaimed, suddenly realizing the perfection of this; an exhilarating and scary ride on the back of a motorcycle, something I'd never done before and with someone I barely knew—what better way to take my mind off of things!

I grinned at the thought of forgetting my troubles again, even for only a few minutes. Jacob smiled again too and helped me strap on the helmet. I climbed onto the back of the motorcycle and put my hands lightly on Jacob's hips.

"Bella, you're going to need to hang on a little tighter than that," Jacob laughed. When I didn't move, he grabbed my arms and wrapped them securely around his midsection. I was glad he couldn't see me blush yet again but, even though he was incredibly warm, I'm sure he could feel the heat from my face on his back.

Jacob's bike roared to life; I could feel it snarling and vibrating beneath me and unconsciously tightened my hold on Jacob. I saw him turn back and look at me, still smiling. He revved the engine a few times and then we were off.

We flew through the darkening streets, probably going twice the speed limit. It felt as though my heart had been left back at the coffee shop. I felt both terrified and free at the same time. I started to loosen my grip but when Jacob sped up, I latched on again and even over the wind whistling past us, I could hear his gleeful laugh. Thankfully, his broad back blocked the wind and I felt myself huddling comfortably into him, glad for his warmth on such a cold night.

We rode down a few deserted streets, mostly quiet neighborhoods, and then he slowed down as we reached the major intersections in town. Sooner than I had hoped, we apparently reached our destination because Jacob was pulling into a parking lot in front of Mi Amore's, the local pizza restaurant.

"Mi Amore's?" I asked, sitting up stiffly.

"Yeah, I told you—something easy," Jacob said, putting down his kickstand and climbing off expertly. He removed his helmet, helped me take off mine and stowed them in the plastic compartment again. He held out his hand and I grabbed it, using it to slide off the bike.

I fully expected him to let go of my hand once I was off the bike and steady but Jacob held it firmly. I looked up at him but he was looking straight forward, completely unaware of my surprise, nor the battle going on inside my head.

Visions of Edward kept flashing through my head, both the good ones of when we were together and the ones from my nightmare where he was with Bridgette. I tried to focus on Jacob's hand on mine and how nice it felt but all I could think of was the way Edward's hand had felt—it too had enveloped almost my whole hand but he was much leaner than Jacob so it had felt different. I shook my head slightly but that seemed only to shake more thoughts of him into my head.

Seeming to finally notice my preoccupation, Jacob let go of my hand as we reached the door to the restaurant. He opened the heavy door with his right hand and gestured for me to enter first with his left. He was still smiling contentedly at me.

Mi Amore was as busy as always on a Saturday night but the waitresses, who were dressed in green polo shirts with the restaurant's logo on the back and black jeans, were quick and got us a seat within a few minutes. Before we even sat down, Jacob requested she bring us a large pepperoni pizza, breadsticks and two cokes and when I didn't object, the waitress smiled and went to place our order.

"Let's go play some games!" Jacob said excitedly; he grabbed my hand and led me into the game room of the restaurant.

The game room was even noisier than the restaurant itself. Pinball machines, racecar games and old fashioned gun arcade games lined the walls and the center of the room had a scattering of newer games, the largest one being Dance, Dance Revolution. Two teenagers were staring intently at the two TV screens instructing what arrows to jump on on the platforms they stood on. They were dancing to an old 80s song that I couldn't place.

"Have you ever played before?" Jacob asked me, looking at the dancing game while he inserted a twenty dollar bill into the token machine. With a clatter, a couple handfuls of golden tokens spilled out into the tray at the bottom of the machine. Jacob started scooping them up and filling his pockets with them.

"No, I'm about as graceful as an elephant so it'd probably end in tragedy," I joked. Jacob laughed and put his hand on my back again to lead me to the air hockey table, he pockets clinking merrily with the gold coins.

Jacob and I spent the evening playing almost every game in the room—except for Dance, Dance Revolution—and eating pizza. It wasn't until Jacob drove me back to the coffee shop to pick up my car that I lapsed back into my depressing thoughts about Edward. What made it worse was I didn't work the next day but Jacob did. I was contemplating what to do to keep my mind off a certain person when Jacob suggested a movie after work. I quickly seized the invitation and somehow just the thought of seeing Jacob, of hearing his infectious laughter and even his warm hand on mine, managed to get me through the day.

* * *

Jacob and I hung out every day over the next week. Edward was still starring in my dreams, which were sometimes more nightmares, and though I did my best not to dwell on it during the day, I still was. Hanging with Jacob helped a lot; I felt like such a different person around him and after he convinced me to learn how to ride his motorcycle, I wondered what other things I would do that I normally would not. This idea was put to the test on Friday.

It was unusually slow at work for a Friday, probably owing to the fact that Jasper's had a local band playing; I could hear the drums across the street at my place behind the counter. I hadn't seen Jacob all day and wondered whether or not I would when I looked up to find him striding in the door.

It still took me by surprise to see him out of his uniform; I was staring rather blatantly at his fitted, dark shirt and dark jeans but today he also had on a black leather jacket. I returned his smile with more enthusiasm than usual—I hadn't realized how much I looked forward to him coming in tonight.

"So, when do you close up here?" he asked brightly when he reached the counter, eyeing the few customers still converged around tables and slouched on couches.

"Not for another couple of hours," I told him. "Why's that?"

"Well, my roommate has been feeling pretty down and I wanted to go out to the bar but he doesn't want to go," Jacob said, folding his arms on the counter and leaning forward. "I'd love for you to come with me instead."

"Thanks, Jake," I said, briefly stunned by how badly I wanted to go out; I was never attracted to the bar type of scene. "But I'm not old enough, you know."

"That's alright, I can sneak you in," he said airily. "I'm a cop, remember?"

"All the more reason for you _not_ to sneak me in," I laughed.

"Come on, Bella, come with me."

I bit my lip, debating whether or not it was a good idea. I really wanted to get away from everything, to try something new—something even bolder than riding a motorcycle. I don't think anything would ever be the same again after that night and it was pointless to try to continue down that path as I had been, to pretend like nothing had changed. Everything had changed.

"Well, okay," I said and Jacob beamed. "But I'll warn you now…"

"Warn me about what?" he asked, looking a little apprehensive.

"My experience with alcohol is about the same as yours was with coffee," I said, scrunching up my nose.

"So basically none at all," Jacob said, chuckling. "I'll start you off easy, don't worry. I'll keep you safe."

I did my best not to think about where I had heard that said before and just smiled at Jacob.

Almost as though they had heard me to make plans to go out, the remaining customers took off soon after Jacob had come in. He helped me clean up, as usual, and waited expectantly for me to grab my stuff.

I eyed myself in the mirror behind the counter, very aware of how young I looked, but that may have been because of my ponytail. At the moment, it felt a little childish. I fingered the ends of the long tail, wondering what to do.

"Here, why don't we take this down?"

Jacob was suddenly behind me. He gently tugged at the hair-tie tying my hair into a bundle until my hair spilled out onto my shoulders. He tenderly pulled my hair forward, his hands brushing my cheeks lightly as he framed my face with the soft waves. I felt myself shiver.

After smiling at our reflection, Jacob took my hand and together, we left the coffee shop.

Even just outside, the music sounded much louder. I could feel my heart pounding erratically in my chest as we made our way across the street. I didn't think about it until we reached the door but I suddenly remembered the security man I had met when I came to pick up Todd and worried he'd be there again—or that Todd would, not that I had seen him in weeks.

I didn't get a chance to voice my worries. Jacob swiftly positioned me on his right side and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. He walked quickly and purposely through the door, nodding at the security man. It was the same guy as before and he barely glanced at me when he saw it was Jacob coming in—apparently he thought that because Jacob was a cop, he wouldn't break the rules.

We got to the bar in a manner of seconds but found only one empty stool. Jacob set me down in it and leaned over the bar.

"Hey, Alice!" he called over the loud music, holding up two fingers.

A tiny girl with black hair wearing one of the shortest mini skirts I had ever seen came dancing to our end of the bar, a beer clutched in each hand. She barely glanced at me as she set them down on a couple of bar napkins.

"You still need to pay your tab, Jake!" she shouted over the noise. Jacob winked at her and she skipped away again to help another customer.

Smiling, Jacob handed me the beer. I took it hesitantly and sniffed at it when Jacob turned away to take a swig. Taking a deep breath, I took a sip. It tasted horrible but when Jacob looked at me, I did my best to hide my disgust but I think he saw through it.

We sat and listened to the band play, Jacob resting his hand on my shoulder as he leaned casually against the bar. Once I got through about half of my beer, the taste wasn't so bad anymore. I was nervous about what drinking would do to me, considering I'd never had any, but I was still feeling fine once I finished the first bottle. Before I even had a chance to set it down, Jacob handed me a second without even seeming to think about it. He was starting to get really into the music; I could see him itching to get out and dance but, thankfully, he didn't ask me to.

The band soon took a break and Jacob turned to me again. Though it was quieter without the loud music, there were still a lot of people in the bar so he had to shout over the babble.

"Do you think you can handle something stronger?" he asked me and when I looked up at him in alarm, he squeezed my shoulder, winked, and called out to Alice. "Yo, Alice! Two Screwdrivers!"

"Two _what_?" I yelled at Jacob.

"Just orange juice," he shrugged.

"And what else…?" I asked suspiciously.

"Vodka," Jacob said, grimacing a little as though preparing himself for my anger. I frowned but accepted the drink when he handed it to me. We clinked glasses and raised them to our lips. He waited until I tipped my glass first and then took a large drink of his own.

I shuddered and coughed a little at the taste but it really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Jacob smiled and took another drink. I sipped the concoction carefully and then more deeply, figuring it'd be like the beer and get better the longer I drank.

Before I knew it, I had finished the Vodka and orange juice and I was starting to feel pleasantly fuzzy. It was a wonderful feeling after the past week and I accepted my third drink from Jacob happily, glad that it was another mixture—though this one was stronger, with less orange juice, but I still drank it quicker than the first.

By the last drink, I was starting to feel dizzy but I welcomed the feeling. I even got the strange urge to dance and after sucking down a third Screwdriver, I grabbed Jacob's hand and dragged him out to where everyone was dancing in front of the band. I have no idea how ridiculous I looked; it was as though I was having an out of body experience and nothing would hurt or embarrass me. I was barely away of Jacob's hands running up and down my sides as we swayed together.

As we danced, I watched all the people around me, awed by the way everything had a slight glow to it, even while it all spun in dizzying circles. It was an amazing feeling, being drunk, and I was curious as to why I never thought to do this before.

I felt something on my cheek; Jacob was gently turning me to face him. I looked up at his blurry face, feeling slightly dizzier as the lights flashed repeatedly across his face. His movement made it harder to focus on his expression but soon he was moving closer, but he didn't do what I thought he was going to.

Slowly, Jacob reached down to press his lips to my neck and I closed my eyes at the touch. I wasn't sure if I liked it or not because nothing was bothering me at the moment. He probably could have thrown me across the room and I wouldn't have cared.

Through the haze, I unexpectedly remembered the time I _was_ thrown across a room, a week ago in the convenience store. My eyes snapped open at the memory and I tried to focus on the feeling of Jacob's soft, warm mouth on my skin but at that moment, a figured walked in the door of the bar and he instantly caught my eye.

It was Edward.

Or at least, it looked like him. The person was wearing a blue uniform and baseball cap and when he sat down at the bar, he took it off and I saw that tangled bronze hair that I remembered him having. Even from across the room, I thought I could see his green of his eyes flash when the lights hit his face. Then the lights flashed again and I saw that jaw line, covered in stubble…

I gasped, apparently making Jacob think I was enjoying myself. He pulled me closer but I pushed away from him. Surprised, he loosened his arms and nearly let me go but I swayed dangerously, almost falling over backward, so he retightened his hold.

"Bella, are you okay?" he shouted over the noise. Because I was still turned toward him, I saw the man I thought I was Edward look up at the sound of my name.

I tried to step away from Jacob, not sure if I wanted to run at the man I thought was Edward or away from him, but the figure stood up and moved toward the other end of the bar. He looked like he was talking to the blonde guy behind the counter so I took another step to get a closer look and I was suddenly facedown on the floor.

"Bella!" Jacob cried, grabbing my shoulders.

"I'm alright," I said—or at least I think I said; my words came out sounding so slurred that I could have said anything. I attempted to stand again and, once again, started to tumble forward.

"Bella, where are you trying to go?" Jacob asked, sounding half amused and half worried.

"That way," I said stupidly, pointing towards the bar. Jacob helped me take a few steps forward but I could feel myself weaving from side to side.

And then, the person turned and the light from behind the bar caught his face. He didn't see me but I saw him just before everything turned black.

Edward.

* * *

When I woke up, it was dark and a blanket was covering part of my face. I pulled the blanket off and sat up slowly, feeling my stomach pitch and my head throb. I grabbed my head with both hands and groaned.

I opened my eyes, let them grow accustomed to the dark and then tried to figure out where I was.

I wasn't at home, I knew that much. I was sitting on an old, threadbare couch in a small living room of what looked like an apartment. There was an ashtray with a few cigarette butts on the coffee table in front of me and a glass of water. I hadn't realized how dry my mouth was but at the sight of the water, it felt as though my mouth was filled with dry desert sand. I seized the glass and drank it down. My mouth felt less parched but my head and stomach were still killing me.

I put the glass down, hoping to maybe have another one, and stood up. I noticed that my shoes were gone and someone had taken off my hooded sweatshirt. I stumbled through the dark and found the fridge. Taped to the front was a picture of Jacob in his police uniform.

"Huh," I said quietly to myself. "Jacob's place."

I opened the fridge but there wasn't much inside it—a loaf of bread, some lunch meat and cheeses, and a box of strawberry Pop-tarts. Shrugging, I took out one of the Pop-tarts and looked around for a toaster. There was one on the counter so I put in the pastry and pressed down on the lever to toast it.

I turned back to the couch, thinking that if I could only shower that I would feel better, and then noticed a towel folded on the arm of the couch; I sighed in relief.

Once the Pop-tart was hot, I ate it as quickly as I could, though it burned my tongue a little, and it seemed to settle my stomach enough for me to be fairly confident I wasn't going to puke right away. I brushed off my hands, picked up the towel and tiptoed down the hall.

There were only three rooms down the hall but two of the doors were closed. Assuming the open one was the bathroom, I nudged open the door and stepped inside.

I flipped on the light and winced at how bright it was. Squinting, I opened the mirror cabinet and found a bottle of Aspirin. I took a couple and waited a moment for them to kick in—medicine usually hits me fast.

After a quick inspection of the faucet, I turned on the shower, running my fingers under the stream until it was warm enough to get in. I undressed and carefully folded my clothes. After I set the pile on the edge of the sink, I climbed gratefully into the warm water.

I was only in the shower long enough to get fully soaked when I hear a creak outside the door. I froze, wondering if it was Jacob or his roommate. Then I gasped, trying to remember if I had locked the bathroom door. I pulled back the shower curtain just enough to poke my head out but the room was already so full of steam that I couldn't see the doorknob properly.

But it didn't matter because then the door opened, letting in a cool gust of air that wafted away the steam.

"Hey, Jake is that you or your girl—"

The smooth, strangely familiar voice abruptly stopped as the room cleared completely. I found myself staring straight into two piercing emerald eyes.

Edward.

I was frozen in my spot in the shower and he was not moving from his position in the open doorway and at the same time, we both said the same thing,

"Shit."

* * *

**Once again, thank you to my amzing Pre-Reader turned Guest-Beta! I think she did an fantastic job...And sorry for the cliffy but I promise you, chapter 6 is on its way! I've actually already started it :) **

**Reviews make me write faster! Heh heh...**


	6. Chapter 6: Restraints and No Restraints

**I should totally be fired for my terrible updating skills. I would make excuses but they'd be just that…. Excuses. And there's really no excuse for me leaving you all hanging like I did! Chapter 7 is already started and I posted this without a Beta (sorry, Lisa, I just didn't wanna rush you on a beta job. It probably didn't help that I lost your email!) but I had to have it up! **

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are owned by Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended with the posting of this story**.

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* * *

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Chapter 6: Restraints and No Restraints

**::Bella::**

We stood staring at each other, Edward's mouth in a perfectly surprised "O" shape. I didn't know what to do. Though I was very aware of the fact that I was technically standing naked in front of him—and even with the dark curtain shielding me I still felt embarrassed—I didn't even think to pull the curtain forward to hide my face.

"I-I'm sorry," I stuttered in barely more than a whisper; what I was apologizing for, I had no idea.

"What? No, no, this is all on me," Edward said, shaking his head slightly and trying to look everywhere except at me but his eyes kept darting back to my red face.

Then, the shower water sputtered a few times and then shut off completely. I looked up at the shower head and turned the faucet left to right a few times.

"Oh, it does that sometimes," Edward said, nervously holding out his hand and taking a step forward as though to help me. I widened my eyes at him in alarm and his hand flew up to his hair and he looked down at his feet. "Right, um, I'll just… leave then."

The second he turned around, I lunged for the towel, gripping the shower curtain to my body. As I snatched up the towel, my clothes went tumbling from the sink… and right into the open toilet.

"Crap," I muttered, closing my eyes briefly at the sound of the small splash.

Edward turned around again and looked from my shocked face to my clothes getting wetter by the second. In a flash, he snatched them from the water and tossed them into the sink.

"Oh shit," he mumbled, shaking his wet hand. He looked up at me as I shrunk away from him. "I can… let you borrow something of mine," he suggested.

"Oh!" I said, surprised. I bit my lip, thinking it through and figured it was better than hiding in the shower. "Yeah, alright."

He looked a little surprised himself at my acceptance and left the room, closing the door behind him. I wasn't sure what to do when he left. I was starting to shiver as the last of the warm air left the room so I climbed out and wrapped the towel securely around my body, tucking it under my arms. It was a really big towel, huge actually, and reached down to my knees; that made me feel a bit better. I waited nervously, still shivering a little, and listening to the loud bangs and muffled swear words coming from the next room. What was he doing in there?

There came a light rap on the door and then Edward opened it slowly, though he didn't come in.

"Is it…safe?" he asked quietly, even shyly.

"Yes, Edward," I said, smiling but also feeling a small shock at saying his name.

He came in, clutching a bundle of clothes. He held them out to me, not coming any closer than arms length. I saw him glance at my towel wrapped body and felt my face turn impossibly redder.

"They'll be a little big, sorry," Edward murmured, casting his eyes down.

"Thanks," I mumbled, taking the clothes from him.

He nodded once and left quickly. I took a deep breath and shook out the clothes he had handed me.

It was just a plain dark blue t-shirt and flannel pajama bottoms with a pull string at the waist. I threw them on—the wonderful, musky smell of the fabric not escaping my notice—needing to warm up; I could feel my teeth starting to chatter.

I folded my towel neatly and set it on the back of the toilet, making a mental note to find a hamper to toss it in. I looked down at my soaked clothes and frowned. Maybe I would ask for a grocery bag so I could get them home—

Crap. Home. I buried my face in my hands. How was I going to get home? I didn't even know how I got to Jacob's place—er, Edward's place? No, it was too big of a coincidence—and in fact, I couldn't remember anything after I had passed out at the bar, right after I had seen—

But had I really seen him? Had that actually been Edward I had seen at the bar? I thought back to that blurry hour, trying desperately to remember if it had been real or just a drunken hallucination. I didn't know which one I hoped it was because if it was the former, I'd probably hear about it from Edward. Unless it was a common occurrence for girls to pass out at the bar then he was sure to have noticed or even used his medical knowledge to help out. If it was the latter… well, then I'd have to explain to him why I was taking a shower at his place after having a drunken date with Jacob—who was his roommate? Friend? Either way, wouldn't he have told Jacob about me? No, I told myself, because I wasn't that important, right?

But if he had really seen me there, wouldn't he have known I'd come over?

My head was starting to hurt again as I contemplated all this. I slowly raised my head and vowed not to say anything until he asked. Maybe I'd be able to just have another Pop-tart and possibly slip out somewhere to avoid the awkward questions that I knew were coming. Or maybe he had left. I sighed heavily, not sure which one of those options I liked better either.

I opened the bathroom door and started to leave quickly but ran right into Edward, nearly falling over backward. I caught myself on the bathroom door frame just in time.

"Oh, sorry… again," Edward apologized, holding up a grocery bag. "I thought you might need this."

When I did nothing more than stare stupidly at him, Edward brushed past me and scooped up my soggy clothes without even hesitating. I saw a tiny flicker of color from inside the folds of my jeans and silently sighed in relief that I had hidden my underwear.

I gasped, looking down at my pajama clad lower body.

"What's wrong?" Edward asked, furrowing his brow and pausing in the act of tying shut my bag of clothes.

I shook my head once and looked away to avoid the curious look he was giving me. I was sure he wanted to know why I was turning redder still but I wasn't about to tell him I was going commando under the clothes he had lent me. Thankfully, he didn't say anything more to me and made his way past me to the living room.

I had forgotten about the fact that he had gotten hurt that night we had met. He still seemed to be limping a bit but not nearly bad enough to need his cane to walk. I hesitantly followed him into the living room and when I spotted my hoodie draped over the back of one of the kitchen chairs, I snatched it up and put it on, wrapping my arms around myself.

I looked up to find him on the other side of the kitchen table, leaning heavily on the back of another chair just like the one my hoodie had been hanging on. I felt an odd twinge of sadness that he actually was still in enough pain to need support like that to stand. I looked up at him from under my lashes to see if he had noticed the concern on my face but he was looking down at the tabletop. I stifled a gasp when I saw his face.

He looked terrible. His face was even scruffier and paler than when I had last seen him and there were dark circles under his eyes. When he lifted his gaze slightly, I could see that his eyes were slightly bloodshot and unfocused. It looked as though he hadn't slept in days. I felt that bit of sadness again, though I wasn't sure why. I thought maybe I had finally gotten over him—but then I remembered my thoughts from the night before and though they were hazy from the drinking I did, I knew I had been thinking a lot about him and my feelings that I still held.

"What… are you doing here?" he asked in a monotone voice. I dropped my gaze just as he looked up at me but I saw his face for a split second and it was oddly blank, as though he had an emotionless mask on.

I didn't know what to say to him. I kept looking down, trying to control my breathing that I could feel starting to speed up from being so close to him again. It was clear he knew nothing about what was going on with me and Jacob and I didn't know what to say about it. I didn't really feel much for Jacob, at least not in comparison to what I felt for Edward, but I wasn't going to tell him that. It was obvious he didn't want me.

The feeling of rejection washed over me again and I could feel my eyes starting to prickle with tears. I clenched my teeth, trying to hold them in, and then he spoke again. My head snapped up at the sound of his voice.

"Bella," he said firmly and my eyes grew wide. "What the hell are you doing in my apartment?"

My breathing grew painfully faster. I could feel my lungs start to constrict slightly as I started feeling a panic attack coming on. My head was spinning so fast that my vision started to darken as though I was looking through a long tunnel.

Edward lived here. This was his home too. He wasn't merely visiting and he had no idea what was going on. And I still didn't know what to tell him. I don't know why I wasn't feeling angry at him anymore. When I had seen him last week, it was easier to be angry with him so what was happening now? I could feel my hands starting to shake and I gripped the chair in front of me tightly.

"Bella," he said again, but his tone was softer now. I looked up again, biting my lip to get it to stop trembling.

He moved slowly around the table and I stood there, frozen. He got so close to me that I could smell him. He smelled just the same as before except there was a slight tobacco scent coming off of him. For once, the smell didn't repulse me. On Edward it didn't bother me at all and I breathed in as deeply as I could, feeling it relax me slightly.

He slowly reached out a hand, hesitating a little before brushing a lock of my wet hair behind my ear. I closed my eyes at the touch and my breathing hitched. I felt his warm breath waft over my face; I parted my lips and thought I could taste it too.

A door opened down the hall and we both jumped apart. I opened my eyes and gazed in horror as Jacob came ambling down the hall, wearing only sweatpants and rubbing his eyes with both hands.

I couldn't help but stare at Jacob's bare chest. It was so muscled that he could have been in one of those gym magazines. The brown skin of his face and hands blended perfectly into the brown of his upper body and I caught myself staring at the clearly defined six pack on his stomach. I shook my head once, looking back down at the ground, dreading the confrontation about to take place.

"Anyone awake out there?" Jacob mumbled sleepily and then yawning widely.

"Yes, we both are," Edward growled quietly and my head jerked up again to look at him.

Jacob stopped just before reaching the end of the hall and stopped rubbing his eyes. He stared wide eyed at me and then took another step forward. He slowly craned his neck forward to look around the fridge that was just around the corner and blocking his view of Edward. His eyes opened impossibly wider.

"Oh, shit," he mumbled.

"What the fuck is going on?" Edward demanded and I flinched at the loud volume of his voice.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Jacob growled back, narrowing his dark eyes and crossing his arms across his massive chest.

"You know damn well what it means!" Edward yelled. He pointed a finger at me and I flinched again, away from his finger this time as though he had physically jabbed me. "What is Bella doing here?"

Jacob gave a smirk and rolled his eyes.

"What? You gave up on her," he said mockingly.

"Excuse me?" Edward said in a dangerously low voice and as he took a step towards Jacob, I took a step away, looking quickly between the two.

"What?" Jacob said again, taking a step forward himself. "While you've been feeling sorry for yourself all week, I took some action."

I took another step back, frowning at what Jacob had said. What did he mean?

"You know damn well that I've been doing something," Edward said through his gritted teeth. "You know the shit I've been going through this week to try to… to…"

Edward trailed off and Jacob snickered.

"Yeah, right," Jacob sneered, snickering again. "I've been telling you for years to put a restraining order on that chick. Why the hell would you actually do it now?"

I stepped back again, looking wildly from Jacob's condescending face to Edward's furious one. None of this made sense. I knew I was missing something but it looked as though something else was clear…

Jacob knew something about Edward and I, something that he hadn't told me. I was under the impression that he didn't know about what had happened between us at all, except the vague explanation I had given him when he had interviewed me. Did he really know how Edward had been watching me for weeks? My suspicions were confirmed almost immediately.

"You know as well as I do that I couldn't until she turned eighteen," Edward said in a menacing voice, making me retreat further. "And I didn't think it'd be a problem anyways until I met Bella."

"Yeah, because I'm sure Bella is just so different to you," Jacob sneered, rolling his eyes again. "Like she just isn't like all those other girls you like to fu—"

"You shut the hell up!" Edward shouted but I had had enough.

I spun around and saw my high top converse shoes sitting by the front door. I sprinted towards them, snatched them up and wrenched open the front door. I could hear both boys calling my name before it sounded like they were wrestling with each other. I heard a few grunts and more profanity as I tore out the door and took off running down the street.

I ran flat out for three blocks before turning a corner and only then did I realize it was raining and I had been running barefoot. I jogged down another block until I found myself in front of a church. I sank down onto its front steps and shoved my soggy, sore feet into my shoes, not bothering to lace them up.

I drew my knees up to my chest, laying my forehead against my knees. I hugged my legs closer, trying to calm myself. I could feel a sob rising in my throat but I tried to repress it. I wasn't having much luck but a small voice caused me to look up before I managed to let any tears lose.

"Are you alright?"

I looked up to see the female bartender from Japer's standing in front of me, beneath a black umbrella. She had traded her mini skirt from the night before for very tight jeans and a fitted gray sweater with a matching scarf wrapped around her neck. Her black hair was smooth today—last night it had been spikier. Beside her, clutching the black umbrella that shielded both of them from the rain, was a younger girl about as tiny as she was, though with long brown hair but with the same round, brown eyes. They had to have been sisters. They looked down at me curiously.

"Do you need some help?" the same girl asked and I suddenly remembered that Jacob had called her Alice. She didn't seem to recognize me.

"What's your name?" the younger girl asked.

"B-bella," I said quietly, realizing that I was soaked all the way through and that my teeth were starting to chatter.

I thought I saw the girl with the long brown hair widen her eyes slightly and something flashed in Alice's eyes but neither of them said anything as they looked at each other. I could almost hear the silent conversation taking place in that look but I couldn't make any sense of it. Alice looked at me again and stepped out from under her shelter. She crouched down in front of me and put a tiny hand on my arm.

"Are you alright?" she asked again, softly.

"I…I…" I looked around, noticing that I was in a part of town I didn't recognize. "I think I'm lost."

"We'll take you where you need to go," Alice said quietly, giving me a small smile. "My place is just around the corner."

I looked up at the brown haired girl and she smiled at me too. They were both so small and cute that I couldn't help but smile back. I gave a nod and accepted Alice's hand to help me off the cold cement steps. The young girl offered me the umbrella and I stepped under it gratefully. It was big enough to cover all three of us but we still had to walk fairly close together. It was a little odd being in between two total strangers but it didn't bother me enough to want to move.

We walked a couple blocks until we came to a modest house set on a corner. Bright flowers overflowed out of the planters under the two windows on the front of the house and a large rose bush sat on the right side of the front yard. A few yellow roses were peeking out from between the green leaves and thorns.

I followed the two girls up the steps and into their warm, inviting house.

The living room was just as cheerful as the outside of the house; a vase of flowers was on almost every surface, complimenting the dark green sofa, which Alice steered me too. I felt bad sitting on it when I was soaking wet but she pushed me down firmly and skipped off down the hall. The other girl sat down on a matching green arm chair, folding her legs neatly underneath her small frame. She was still smiling at me sweetly.

Alice came back with a large, light pink towel. She wrapped it around my shoulders and gave me a grin.

"There now," she said kindly. "Now how about I go make some tea?"

I nodded gratefully and she spun around gracefully and headed towards the kitchen.

"What were you doing out in the rain?" the young girl asked curiously, tilting her head to one side.

"I dunno," I shrugged, not sure what to say.

"It looked like you were running away from someone," she said in a small voice.

"Yeah, that sounds about right," I said, giving a weak chuckle.

"Do you wanna… you know, talk about it?" she asked gently, leaning forward. I noticed she had a slight Spanish accent, making her voice smooth and soothing.

"It doesn't even matter," I mumbled, shaking my head. "Just… stupid boys."

"What did they do to you?" she asked quickly and sharply, narrowing her eyes.

I frowned, thinking of how to tell a perfect stranger what happened to me. I did feel oddly comfortable here and I didn't have anyone else to talk to about this so I heaved a deep sigh and gave a vague but accurate answer.

"They both lied to me," I said matter-of-factly.

I looked up from under my lashes and saw the girl frowning at me, biting her bottom lip. She glanced once at the kitchen and then back at me before leaping off her chair and bouncing into the seat next to me.

"Please, you've got to forgive Edward," she pleaded, her big brown eyes getting wide.

"Jackie!" Alice scolded, entering the room with a tray laden with a tea pot and cups.

"What, Alice?" she whined. "You _know_ this is all some stupid mistake!"

I looked between the two sisters, sure this was a joke. Alice saw my confused face and shook her head as she set down the tray on the coffee table.

"I'm sorry, Bella," she said, filling a cup and holding it out to me. "Jackie tends to get a little over excited."

"What's going on?" I asked slowly, not taking the cup I was being offered.

Alice grimaced; she put the cup down, sighed and gestured to Jackie.

"We're friends with Edward," she said in a fast voice and I felt my eyes grow wide. "He told us all about you and that night together and how much he cares for you because he really is crazy about you and he told us how that bitch stalker ex-neighbor of his is fucking everything up and—"

"Breathe, Jackie!" Alice interrupted.

"Wait," I said breathlessly, scooting down the couch a little, away from Jackie, who was trying to catch her breath. "Are you guys serious?"

"About which part?" Jackie asked, furrowing her brow.

"You guys… know Edward?" I asked, my eyes darting between the two.

"Yes, we do," Alice said softly. "And everything Jackie said is right. He really does care for you, Bella."

"Just give him another chance!" Jackie begged, folding her hands in front of her.

I didn't know what to say. I looked back and forth between Jackie's eager face and Alice's kind smile, believing deep down that what they said was true but still unable to accept it right away. I needed time to think.

"Um, well, thanks for the help," I said lamely, standing up and letting the towel fall off my shoulders. "But I really do need to get to work."

"Would you like a ride?" Alice asked, reaching for her purse.

"That'd be great, yeah," I answered, folding up the towel.

"Wait," Jackie said slowly and narrowing her eyes. "Did you say _both_ boys lied to you?"

"Well, yeah," I said uncertainly, sure they knew Jacob too and I didn't really want to get into that fiasco. "It's nothing really. I should really go, I have work this morning."

"Can I come too?" Jackie asked, bouncing off her seat.

"No! You stay here!" Alice commanded. Jackie flopped back onto the couch, folding her arms across her chest and sticking out her lip in a pout.

Alice led me out to the garage where two cars were sitting—a shiny yellow Porsche and a dark blue Mustang that put mine to shame. Though the Porsche was much flashier, I was glad that we climbing into it rather than the Mustang.

"Where should I take you?" Alice asked sweetly as she pulled out of the garage.

"The coffee shop by Jasper's," I answered, staring down at my hands. "My car is still parked there."

Alice nodded but didn't say anything. She switched on the radio to a station that played music similar to the band that had played at the bar the night before and began nodding her head to the beat. It wasn't on so loud that we couldn't still talk so I drew in a deep breath for courage and decided to ask her a question.

"Alice?" I said quietly, half hoping she didn't hear me.

"Yes, Bella?" she answered immediately, as though she was expecting it.

"If you know Edward," I started slowly, running my finger down the stripes in the pajama bottoms I was still wearing. "Then you know Jacob."

It was more of a statement than a question but Alice prompted me none the less.

"Yes, I do," she said in a tight voice; when I didn't ask another question right away, she asked one of her own. "When you said they _both_ lied to you, were you talking about Jacob as well?"

"Yeah, he and I uh…" I fidgeted, not sure how exactly to explain what we were the past week. "We sort of went out a couple of times."

"Was that you at the bar last night?" Alice suddenly screeched, making me jump so high in my seat I nearly hit my head on the low roof of the car. She turned to me, her eyes blazing, and all I could do was nod. She turned her angry glare back to the road and growled, "If I had known that was you last night, I would have shoved my boot so far up his ass he'd be able to taste the Italian leather!"

I stared at her with my mouth and eyes wide, surprised to hear such anger—and profanity—come out of this tiny person's mouth. She took a deep breath, composing herself and turned to me with a smile again.

"Sorry," she said softly. "Jackie and I have a kind of…sore spot when it comes to Jacob. He's screwed Edward over so many times, he's lucky to be alive."

Alice giggled quietly and when she saw my confused expression, she elaborated.

"If it weren't for Jacob, Edward wouldn't be able to afford the apartment he's in," she explained. "He may have a good job but he has a lot of school debts to pay off. He tried to move in with my brother Emmett before but Emmett would rather live at home and take care of Jackie. Edward doesn't tell Emmett most of the stuff Jacob does but he tells Jackie and Jackie always tells me. I know I _should_ tell Emmett all the shit Jacob gets Edward into—it'd be great to see Jacob put in his place for once—but…"

Alice sighed sadly, shaking her head. I completely understood what it was like to rely on someone else, no matter how much you didn't want to. If it were up to me, I'd have left Tess's long ago.

We had reached the coffee shop where my shabby Mustang was still parked.

"I'm sorry again about Jackie," Alice apologized again. "She absolutely adores Edward and would love nothing more than to see him happy after all the hard years he's been through. Actually, we'd all love that… but it's all up to you. Just think about it."

Alice gave me another radiant smile and I returned it timidly. I climbed out of her low riding car awkwardly and shut the door carefully behind me, worried I'd scratch the paint or something.

My Mustang was just were I left it, covered in raindrops, and I made my way over to it, giving Alice a small wave once I got the door unlocked. I tried to keep my parting smile on my face as I watched her drive away but once I got inside my car, it slid right off my face.

I had a lot of thinking to do and I didn't know where to start. But first things were first… I needed a hangover cure.

I put my head in my hands, trying to think back to one of the many times George came home hungover, and remembered him once mentioning that Arizona Green Tea worked wonders. So I put the keys in the ignition, started the car and slowly made my way back home to change and, hopefully, figure things out.

Back at home, I took a second shower to warm up and to do some serious thinking. I stood under the hot water until it ran out but I still hadn't come to any conclusions. I dressed slowly, stopping only once to freak myself out at the thought that Jacob might show up at the coffee shop again. I stood in the middle of my room, trying not to hyperventilate at the thought before finally convincing myself that if he did—though I didn't think he would after what happened that morning—I'd just have to get tough and tell him to leave.

I pilfered one of the tall cans of tea that George had stashed in the back of the fridge and was surprised to find that it did make me feel a whole lot better. Not quite one hundred percent but good enough for me to go to work—though I still hadn't come to a decision on Edward.

* * *

**::Edward::**

Could my week get any worse? Bella had been in my apartment because of that shithead roommate of mine and it was fucking everything up even more than it was already fucked up.

I watched as Bella sprinted down the street and I wanted desperately to run after her but I could still barely stand for long periods of time. I wouldn't have cared if the remaining stitches in my leg ripped out and I had to be wheel chair bound until I healed again if I knew I'd be able to catch her. But I knew I wouldn't be able to. I wasn't taking care of my wound enough so I had had to get new stitches just the day before and the pain was still fresh.

I turned to face Jacob.

"What the fuck did you do?" I demanded, gripping the still open front door.

"What?" he shrugged, rubbing the spot on his chin where I had elbowed him when we had wrestled. "We just went out."

"How many times?" I growled, closing my eyes.

"A few, I guess," Jacob said nonchalantly and then he chuckled. "Okay, more than a few. We've been hanging out all week."

"What the hell, man?" I shouted, my eyes snapping open. "You know I've been trying to clear the way so I can get her back! What the fuck were you thinking?"

"Clear the way?" Jacob snorted, crossing his arms across his chest again. "Is that what that restraining order against Bridgette was about?"

"You know damn well that's what—" I cut myself off when I saw him looking down, trying to hide a smirk. I narrowed my eyes at him. "Did you have something to do with that shit not going through?" I said in a low voice.

"Maybe," he said simply, looking at me smugly and smirking again.

My eyes grew wide at him. I slammed the door behind me, making the clock on the wall beside it rattle on its hook. I limped back and forth, grabbing my hair with both hands.

"What's the big fucking deal?" Jacob said condescendingly and I growled under my breath. "If she was really all that special to you, you would have told her all this shit in the first place. Just go fuck some other chick."

I stopped walking and turned. I stared daggers at Jacob and for once, he backed down. I saw him shrink away as I took the necessary three steps to tower over him. Though I was taller than him by a few inches, I was nowhere near as beefy as him but he knew when I got angry, it was a good idea to get out of my way.

I drew my fist back and punched him straight in the face, knocking him flat on his back. I shook my fingers out, sure that my knuckles were going to be bruised, but I didn't fucking care. This had been such a shitty week, full of sleepless nights and disturbing nightmares, that I needed to let it out.

"Fuck, man!" Jacob said in a muffled voice behind a bloody nose.

"Where's my damn paperwork?" I demanded, standing over him.

"In the top drawer of my desk," he groaned, clutching his nose and trying to sit up. I nudged him back down with my foot and stalked off to his bedroom.

I found the paperwork I needed and went to grab my jacket from the hall closet. Jacob was still on the floor but was propped up on one elbow, trying to stem the blood flowing from his nose. I rolled my eyes at him and, without giving him another look, strode out the front door, slamming it unnecessarily behind me.

It took all day but I finally got all the paperwork through for my restraining order on Bridgette. I was expecting to feel a lot more satisfied about the whole thing if I hadn't been so fucking tired. I drove slower than usual across town, barely aware of the other cars on the road or where I was going. I finally ended up in front of Bella's house but her car was gone.

I switched off the engine and sat back in my seat, rubbing my face with both hands.

I had gone with very little sleep before, back in my partying days when I was shacked up with a different girl every other day, but this was different. Whenever I did try to sleep, I was plagued with nightmares. Some of them were pretty stupid—I'd find myself in bed with some random girl that looked nothing like my Bella and I'd freak out, waking up in a cold sweat—but other dreams were downright scary. I'd be back in that convenience store and that fucker was there again, this time not listening to Bella as she talked him down and he'd kill her. It was different each time. Sometimes, he'd shoot her only once, straight to the heart, and other times he'd shoot her everywhere else but where it was fatal and I'd have to watch her bleed to death while I was tied to that pole again. One time, I even watched as he strangled her. I'd wake up screaming every time and if Jacob didn't sleep like a rock, I'm sure he'd come running in with his hand gun, because nothing ever scared me enough to get me screaming.

I only managed a couple hours of sleep a night so after a week, I was completely useless. The hospital had practically forced a week off on me but I was grateful for it now. It'd be pretty fucking stupid to try to save a life when I was basically a zombie.

I opened my eyes blearily, trying to think through my stupor. The adrenaline that had surged through my body that morning when I had seen Bella and fought with Jacob had long since evaporated and my head was feeling even cloudier. I tried hard to think against the haze but I had never figured out where Bella worked. I figured stalking her to her school, home and the convenience store was bad enough.

And then Jacob's annoying as fuck voice popped into my head again. I remembered him saying something about going for coffee the other day and this morning, right before that gratifying face punch, he had said he was hanging with Bella all week.

It took longer than it normally would have to put two and two together before I was starting the engine again and heading back into town.

There weren't many coffee shops in town but it took a while for me to manage to get to them all and I nearly hit a bicyclist in my overtired state. But finally, I made it down to where Jasper's was and I remembered there was one last shop over there. I parked in front of the bar and stumbled my way across the street.

And there was Bella's little Mustang, parked right in front of the coffee shop. I smiled sleepily and limped up to the front door right as it was being closed.

I stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, staring at Bella's back as she locked the glass front doors. A light sprinkle was starting to fall and she pulled up her hood as she turned around. She froze at the sight of me and her big brown eyes grew wide.

"Edward," she breathed.

"Hey," I said stupidly, realizing that I hadn't really thought of what I was going to say. I wasn't normally this shy around her but I was so worried that she'd just run away from me again. I was not going to fuck this up anymore than I already had. I looked down, running my hands through my hair nervously, and stuffed my other hand in my back pocket.

A piece of paper crinkled under my fingers and I whipped it out. I saw Bella flinch at my sudden movement and take half a step back. I stared at the paper for a moment before smoothing it out and holding it up for her to see.

"Bella, please, just… read this," I said in a pleading voice.

Bella glanced down at the paper and then back up at me. Her eyes were full of apprehension as she took a few shuffled steps forward and took the paper. I sighed gratefully and dropped my arms limply at my side, feeling my eyes droop slightly. I forced them open and watched as Bella gingerly opened the folded piece of paper. I watched her eyes scan the paper, her forehead creasing with concentration.

"What… what is this?" she asked faintly, looking up at me again.

"A restraining order," I slurred, not sure how much longer I'd last. "Against Bridgette."

"I don't understand," she whispered, looking at the paper again with a frown.

I swayed dangerously and Bella darted forward, grabbing my arm and trying to steady me.

"Edward, are you okay?" she asked in a worried voice and I was downright surprised that she actually cared enough to ask. I knew she was fucking pissed with me.

"I know you're fucking pissed with me," I mumbled, having trouble filtering my mouth the way I normally tried to around her. "I'm so… so sorry."

I swayed again and she gripped my arm tighter.

"Come on, let's get inside," she said to me, draping my arm over her shoulder and wrapping her small arm around my waist. I did my best not to lean too heavily on her but the combination of my exhaustion and the pain in my leg made it hard not to.

She managed to both balance my weight and unlock the coffee shop door and led me inside. We went to the back of the room, where all the couches were and though she tried to set me down gently, I let myself flop down onto the cracked leather. I struggled to keep my eyes open as I watched her sit herself on the edge of a chair across from me. I would have much rather had her sitting right next to me, where I could smell her again and feel her warm little body next to me, but I wasn't going to ask her to unless she wanted to.

"When was the last time you slept?" she asked softly, playing with her fingers.

"Not since that night," I mumbled sleepily, rubbing my face again and trying to sit up straighter. I noticed how she stirred in her seat when I reminded her of that night. "Bella, please believe me. I never meant to hurt you. I just… didn't know how to tell you."

"Then tell me now," she said, still staring down at her hands and letting her hair swing forward to hide her face. I smiled a little as I remembered how she did the same thing that one night we had together, whenever she was trying to hide her red face from me. I longed to reach over, pull that hood down off her head and feel her warm blushing face under my fingers as I brushed her hair back. If my limbs didn't feel like lead, I would have reached right over but instead my fingers just twitched pathetically on the dark couch.

Bella looked up at me expectantly. I sighed heavily and attempted to sit up again. Suddenly, she stood up and walked over to the counter, frowning slightly. I was about to beg her not to leave but she came back in seconds, carrying two coffee cups and a tall thermos. She set them down on the table between us. Still not speaking, she opened the thermos and poured steaming hot coffee into the cups. She handed one to me, that small frown still creasing her forehead.

"Drink some and then talk," she said firmly and I smiled again. She sounded all confident and sexy—just the way I liked.

I took a big gulp of the hot coffee. It was so fucking good I drank down the whole cup. I was almost beyond being woken up with caffeine but it perked me up enough that I could think straight enough to finally tell her.

"Bridgette and I practically grew up together," I said groggily, watching Bella sip her coffee, keeping her head down. "For years, she had this weird crush on me but she was way too young for me. I tried to hint at her that nothing was going to fucking happen but she just didn't get it. I moved out of my parent's house the second I could but she found me and figured out my work schedule and followed me around all day, everyday. It got so bad that I had to post a fake work schedule at the hospital so that I could do my rounds. I still have to do that sometimes.

"I tried to tell my parents what was going on but they didn't fucking get it," I said through gritted teeth, remembering that day. "They said it was just a crush, and that she'd get over it, but she never did."

I sighed heavily. Bella glanced up at me, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. I took it as a good sign that she was letting me see her face.

"And then… she turned eighteen," I continued, rubbing my eyes. "She figured that was all that was standing in the way of us being together. I fucking told her, straight up, that I didn't give a shit how old she was, that I didn't want anything to do with her. She still just… didn't get it."

I paused, not sure what else to say. Bella was sitting so quietly that I opened my eyes to see if she was still sitting in front of me.

"What about… that night," she said quietly, frowning at her coffee.

"That night?" I asked blankly. "Oh! When you saw her throw herself at me?"

Bella grimaced and gave a small nod. I hadn't thought about how stupid it was for me to bring that up but I hadn't meant to.

"Sorry," I slurred, rubbing my eyes again. "Yeah, that's usually how she greets me whenever she manages to track me down. I hadn't seen her around in so long so I never dreamed she'd show up that night. Emmett pulled her off of me and got rid of her but… You saw. And I am so… so sorry."

I stared intently at Bella, willing her to look up at me. I didn't know what else to say to her, I just wanted her to believe me. I felt my eyes starting to droop again and forced them open.

"So that night we had together," she finally said, shifting in her seat again. "It was…real?"

"Yes," I answered quickly.

"I was just jumping to conclusions?"

"I don't blame you for doing so; she was pretty fucking out of line."

"So…if anything…" she said slowly, frowning again. "It was… my fault that we couldn't be together?"

I couldn't help it. I started chuckling at the look on her face. She was just so fucking cute when she frowned like that, her pale forehead creasing and her perfect mouth turning downwards.

"Oh no," I chuckled. "You're not taking all the blame for this. I fucked up… And I know it."

"We both screwed up," she laughed, rolling her eyes.

"Fair enough," I agreed.

She gave me a small smile but it didn't last long.

"You look terrible," she said, setting her cup down and walking slowly around the table. She sat on the edge of the far side of the couch. "Why haven't you been sleeping?"

"I just…felt like such an ass," I answered, not wanting to tell her the real reason so I settled for part of it. "I couldn't stop thinking of you and how I could… get you back."

"You've been thinking of me?" she asked skeptically.

"Constantly," I told her honestly, smiling hugely. She smiled back but then we both jumped at a loud bang coming from the back of the shop.

"Crap, that's the guy that cleans up," she said breathlessly, screwing shut the thermos and snatching up the coffee cups. "This coffee is for him. I told him I was closing early and I guess he took it to mean I wanted him to come in early."

I watched in a daze as she rushed back behind the counter to put the cups in the sink. I struggled to get back up but only fell back down again. Bella came hurrying back, her brown hair flying behind her. She stopped when she saw me and bit her lip.

"Do I need to help you home?" she asked uncertainly, a twinge of regret in her voice; I knew she was afraid to see someone else there but I was glad to hear she was reluctant to leave me.

"We can hang out somewhere else and talk," I suggested, not sure where that would be. I didn't know what her living situation was really like.

"You don't seem up for much talking," she chuckled. She looked towards the front door and back at me. She reached down and grabbed my arm. "Come on, up the stairs," she huffed, tugging on my arm.

I struggled into a standing position and she helped me shuffle to the staircase near the front door. I gripped the handrail tightly and trudged up the stairs.

At the top of the stairs was a kind of loft with a wooden railing on one side, overlooking the rest of the shop. There were more cushy couches and chairs surrounding small round tables or next to orange shaded lamps. Small, rectangular windows overlooked the street below. It was a pretty cozy area.

I collapsed onto the nearest threadbare couch, my eyes closing on their own. I felt Bella sit down on the other end.

"Do you want to get some sleep?" she whispered.

"No, I'm just resting my eyes," I muttered drowsily.

Bella gave a small laugh.

"Will you be here when I wake up?" I asked quietly, cringing at how pathetic I sounded.

"Yeah, I'll be here," she breathed.

* * *

**::Bella::**

I don't know why I believed him. Maybe it was the way he showed up, looking so worn out and broken. I had a hard time staying mad at him when he looked like that. He somehow looked worse than he had that morning; the dark circles under his eyes had gotten even darker and he didn't seem to be able to keep his eyes open.

After he told me about Bridgette—the real story behind her—I didn't want to let him take all the blame. I had jumped to conclusions. I couldn't help it; I was no where near good enough for him and I knew it. It only made sense that I wasn't the one for him.

And while he explained, I thought back to what Jackie and Alice had said. I know I didn't know them well but they were so sincere and what they said was matching what Edward was telling me. Jackie had said something about an ex-neighbor stalking him…

I hadn't gotten much sleep over the past week either but he had obviously gotten much less. He didn't usually swear so much around me. I smiled a little each time he did, secretly liking the way the words came out of his mouth.

When I sat next to him on the couch, I had really wanted to touch him, to make sure he was real, that this wasn't some fantastic dream, but then stupid Jose interrupted us. I got Edward up the stairs just as Jose was coming in the back door and managed to get the old battered Japanese screen in place at the opening to the loft so that Jose knew that he didn't need to clean upstairs.

After double-checking that Jose wasn't coming upstairs, I sat in an armchair near Edward, watching him as he slept. He looked so peaceful that I was afraid that if I sat any closer to him, I'd be tempted to touch him and I was worried that touch might wake him up. So instead, I read my book and listened to the soft rain falling outside and his slow, deep breathing. I really wanted to go to sleep myself but I was afraid that, even with him here, I'd have another nightmare about him and Bridgette.

A couple hours later, just as I was feeling my eyes start to droop, I heard Edward moan. I looked up to see his face contorted in pain and to hear his breathing speed up. I leaned forward in my chair, watching as he dreamed of something that was clearly scaring him.

I got up from my chair and walked over to him, holding out my hand cautiously. He moaned again, his face screwed up in agony. I bit my lip, drawing my hand back slightly and then jumped when he said my name.

"Bella," he mumbled sleepily and then cried out more forcefully, "No, Bella, no! No, please!"

He started writhing around on the couch, grabbing his hair with both hands. I reached out and grabbed his arm, trying to pull his hand free.

"Edward!" I yelled. "Edward, wake up!"

He awoke with a yell, falling right off the couch onto his hands and knees. His face was covered in sweat and he looked around wildly, confused as to where he found himself. When he caught sight of my feet next to him he slowly looked up, his eyes wide and glistening with tears.

"Bella?" he asked, his voice cracking. "Is that really you?"

"I'm right here," I said quietly, kneeling down next to him, truly terrified as to what he had been dreaming about that had scared him so badly.

"You're alright?" he whispered and I nodded timidly.

He reached his hand out slowly and brushed my hair off my face, his sparkling green eyes staring intently into mine. He left his hand resting on my neck and then suddenly grabbed both my shoulders, pulling me forward so he could wrap both arms tightly around me. He crushed me to his body and I was so surprised that I left my hands hanging limply at my sides.

"Bella, I'm so sorry," he whispered, gripping me so tight I could barely breathe. "You have no idea how fucking sorry I really am. Please, just say you'll forgive me, please, please…"

He trailed off, breathing heavily. I slowly wrapping my arms around him and rubbed his back.

"It's alright," I whispered back with a shaky voice, feeling my eyes fill with tears. "I forgive you, its okay."

Edward's breathing slowly returned back to normal and he loosened his hold on me. I kept rubbing his back, still staggered at his reaction to his dream. When he seemed in control of himself, he pushed himself back, wiping his face with the back of his hand and leaned his back against the couch, pulling me with him. Though he didn't look at me, he kept his arms wrapped around my waist. I looked at his face closely, waiting for him to explain himself.

"Sorry," he said again, giving a small sniff.

"Edward," I said softly. "What was your dream about?"

He didn't answer me right away but I waited patiently. I could tell he was trying to hide the fact he had cried a bit; it didn't bother me if he had. I'm sure if it wasn't a normal thing for him to do that his exhaustion paired with the nightmare had brought it on.

"I dreamed that you were dead," he finally said quietly and I gasped.

"Have you… had a dream like that before?" I asked slowly.

"Uh, yeah… couple of times now," he answered hesitantly, sniffing again and tightening his hold. "Almost every night this week, actually."

And then it all clicked for me and I believed everything. There's no way that he could have been lying to me if he was able to show this much emotion. He wasn't faking that nightmare, it was impossible. My eyes welled up with tears.

"Edward," I said soothingly, lifting a hand to brush his hair off his face. "Don't be embarrassed by that."

He shrugged, still not looking at me.

"It means you really care," I whispered to him and he finally looked up.

His eyes were still swimming with moisture and I could feel my own tears starting to splatter down my cheeks. I gave him a small smile and he returned it with a crooked one, reaching up to brush away my tears. He left his hand there, rubbing my cheek with his thumb and then slowly brought my face forward.

Just like the first time, he tried to kiss me slowly and sweetly. His pink, soft lips pressed against mine briefly. He then took my lower lip in between his and sucked softly, obviously trying to keep the kiss from escalating.

I tried to be good and kiss him back just as simply but my body was on fire from his simple touches. I needed more of him. I swept my tongue across his upper lip. Edward opened his mouth with a gasp and the fire burned hotter as he gave me more. He massaged his sweet tongue against mine, which drove me further, but it was still not enough.

I fisted my fingers in his silky, copper locks and pulled his face closer. Edward groaned and put his hands gingerly over mine, trying to pry my fingers from his hair. But I was not holding back. I was past that now. I had waited too long to wait to kiss him this way.

We were both having trouble breathing so I pulled away and began kissing his beautiful skin, not wanting my lips to part contact with him. With the moonlight pouring in from the window, his already pale skin looked bleached white. He was gorgeous.

His stubble tickled my lips as I peppered his sharp, angular, jaw line with kisses. Placing open-mouthed kisses against his neck, I heard Edward moan loudly before he brought my face to his fiercely. Our teeth clashed and our tongues plunged inside each others hot mouths as we both were overcome by our raging emotions for one another. Pulling back slightly to catch my breath again, I looked into Edward's eyes and was shocked to see that his pupil's were dilated to the point where the green of his irises were a thin line encasing the black. Lust.

Tangling our hands into each other's hair once again, I was surprised at the reactions Edward caused in me. The fire roared and scorched me from the inside out.

We both needed more from each other. As I moved to straddle Edward's lap, he moved his free hand to my lower back, pressing my body flush with his. My eyes rolled back in my head as I felt the planes of his toned body against mine. I tilted my head, trying to push my tongue deeper into his mouth, but he pushed it out of the way with his own tongue. Without meaning to, I let out a low moan myself, shoving my own tongue back into his mouth and pulling his hair tighter. Overwhelmed by my desire for this remarkable man, I swiveled my hips a little and gasped into Edward's mouth when I felt him squeeze my ass cheek with his free hand. Taking this as encouragement, I continued the circular motions of my hips against his.

Suddenly, Edward's hands moved towards my gyrating hips and stilled them. He pulled away slowly, giving me a few softer, chaste kisses before pressing his forehead against mine. He took big gulps of air, his eyes screwed shut. Gently, he lifted me off of his lap and placed me next to him.

"Fuck, Bella," he said huskily, grabbing fistfuls of his hair with both of his hands.

"Did I do something wrong?" I whispered in a mortified voice, biting my lip and staring down at my hands.

"Wrong?" he said with a gruff chuckle. "I've never been so fucking turned on in my life!"

"Oh," I said shyly, at a loss for words. I smiled to myself and peeked up at him. "Really?"

Edward laughed and dropped his hands. I could still see the fire in his eyes as he gently pushed my hair over my shoulder. The moonlight drifted behind a cloud, casting most of his face in shadow, but I could still see his shining green eyes and his pink lips, lifted up in a half grin.

"Fuck yeah."

* * *

**I hope you all still love me (and E+B) enough to write some wonderful reviews!**

**P.S. I know its probably only a big deal to me but I'm still sorry the chapters aren't all laid out the same. I'm still figuring out ...  
**


	7. Chapter 7: Texts and Threats

**I'm fired, yet again, for not thanking my amazing pre-reader for my last chapter. My dearest Ecee helped me write that almost-smut at the end of the chapter that hopefully got you all riled up. ;) I couldn't have done it without her… Thank you, my love! This chapter is again beta-less because I both put off writing it in time for Ecee to beta and then got too impatient to wait for her to be free! I hope you like/love it anyways! **

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are owned by Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended with the posting of this story**.

* * *

**Chapter 8: Texts and Threats**

**::Bella::**

_I knew it was all a dream._

_It just had to be. There was no way I could be back in that store again. _

_Unless that had been a dream too... _

_Everything looked just the same as I remembered it—the metal shelves filled with candy and over priced __paper towels__, the white __linoleum floor__, the faint smell of lemon disinfectant. The old speakers mounted high on the walls were even playing an old rock song and the air conditioner was on too high, just like before. _

_I looked around, expecting to see my fellow captives, but there was no one there._

_But then I looked to my right to see Edward smiling serenely down at me. I couldn't help but smile back, though I was thoroughly confused. _

_He was wearing his navy blue EMT uniform and I hoped he would lend me the blue jacket again, and not only because I was cold. I wanted to see his __broad shoulders__ again and that little bit of chest hair that poked up at the top of his shirt. I felt my face turn hot just at the thought of it. _

_But just as I was about to wrap my arms around myself to subtly hint that I was cold, he turned his head, his pale perfect forehead creasing and his full pink lips turning down into a beautiful frown. I followed his gaze and saw that we weren't alone after all._

_Daniel Brown was standing before us, holding his rifle tightly in both of his hands, his mouth twisted into its usual sneer. He was standing next to someone I didn't expect because she hadn't been here last time. _

_Bridgette stood at his side, her long hair rippling down her back and wearing a tiny white dress. I wondered vaguely why she wasn't freezing but then she spoke, distracting me with her melodic voice that echoed strangely. _

_"If you can't have him," she said in a seductive voice. "Then no one can." _

_She turned and smiled sweetly at Daniel who gave a tight smile back. _

_My eyes grew wide with horror as he raised his rifle and I was so frozen with fear that I couldn't speak. Bridgette grinned and I turned my petrified face to Edward. He looked at me sadly and opened his mouth to speak. _

_Before he could, I heard Daniel give a sadistic laugh as he pulled the trigger. _

With a start, I woke. The floor was so hard and cold that I feared I really had just been in that store again. It was so dark that I couldn't be sure but I was too afraid move my head to check.

I squeezed my eyes shut as my breathing grew shallow and rapid. I moved my hand, intending to curl it beneath me in an attempt to keep warm but something didn't feel right.

I was lying on a rough rug, not a tile floor. I felt around until my fingers encountered the edge of the rug so I could feel the floor beneath it. Hardwood.

I sighed in relief, finally remembering that I was still in the coffee shop.

But was he still here? My heart pounded against my chest as I slowly turned my head, holding my breath. But the space next to me was empty. I couldn't breathe at first but when I managed one small breath, it sounded more like a shudder. I curled my arms underneath me, the rough fibers of the rug tugging at he sleeves of my hoodie. I buried my face in my hands, my whole body shaking as the horror of my dream crashed down on me even harder. I breathed as deeply as I could manage, clutching my face tighter and pressing myself into the hard floor.

"Bella?"

I heard a velvety soft voice in the darkness and turned my head hesitantly.

And there he was.

Edward was standing at the top of the stairs to the seating area, the early morning glow of the rising sun bathing his face in a soft orange light. He looked slightly more rested than the night before but his face was clouded with worry.

When he saw me looking at him, my eyes shining with tears, he hurried over and dropped to his knees. I couldn't do anything more than stare blankly up at him, barely believing my eyes, as he stroked my hair softly.

"Bella, are you alright?" he asked softly, his eyes raking over my face intensely. "I'm sorry; I meant to be back up here before you woke."

He kept stroking my hair and I felt my body relax. He could feel it too and smiled at me, though his forehead kept a crease of worry.

"Where'd you go?" I asked in a shaky voice, still hoping I wasn't dreaming because this was all too good to be true. Did last night really happen?

"Just to use the bathroom," he shrugged.

"I thought maybe… you were…" I took a deep, shuddering breath, needing to voice my worries so that I could make this whole situation seem more real. "I thought you were gone."

"I'm here as long as you'll have me," he whispered, shaking his head once.

I couldn't help but grin. He beamed back at me, leaving his hand on my back as I sat up slowly. We leaned toward each other, our lips meeting in a chaste kiss. We pulled back quickly, knowing that it'd be too easy to go too far again if we didn't. He pulled the corner of his mouth up into a half-smile and held his hand out to me. I took it immediately and he held it tightly as we walked down the stairs.

I noticed again how he was limping and frowned. We both walked around to the other side of the counter; he sat on the wooden stool with a quiet groan as I started making coffee.

"I thought your leg would have been better by now," I said as I added beans into the grinder.

"Yeah, it should have," he said with a chuckle, running his fingers through his messy hair. "But I haven't really been taking care of it."

I gave him a stern look and he smiled sheepishly at me. I sighed, snapping the coffee filter into place and starting the machine. I turned to Edward, putting my hands firmly on my hips.

"Edward Cullen," I said sharply. "Under no circumstances are you to not take care of yourself—especially if you are injured."

Edward smirked at me and I tried to keep my face angry. He looked down, letting out a low chuckle and raking his fingers through his hair again. I chewed on my bottom lip, embarrassed, sure he was laughing at me. He reached out a long pale hand and hooked his finger through my belt loop. He yanked me forward, snaking his arms around my waist.

I kept my head down until he gently gripped my chin between his thumb and pointer finger. He tipped my face up, using his thumb to pull my lip out from between my teeth. He kept his thumb there, lightly tracing the curve of my mouth.

"Anything for you," he whispered and I felt my face grow warm. "Would you like me to go get it checked out?"

I nodded and he gave me another half-smile.

"Yeah, I should probably check in with the hospital anyways," he sighed, dropping his hand and ruffling up his hair again. "They probably want me to get back to work."

"Oh, right," I said quietly, dropping my gaze again as he stood. I grimaced as I saw him wince and limp again.

He turned to me and I snapped my head up, giving him the best smile I could but I was sure he saw through it. He gave me a sad smile back and started to leave but stopped abruptly, digging in his pockets.

"I almost forgot," he said, pulling out a small, silver cell phone and handing it to me. "I want you to have this."

"Edward, I can't—" I started but he held up his hands.

"Don't worry, it's just a loan," he assured me. "That's my personal cell but no one ever calls me on that unless they can't reach me on my work cell."

"Oh, right," I said again, turning the phone over in my hands and biting my lip again. I heard him sigh before he lifted my chin with his finger again.

"Bella," he said slowly, quirking up an eyebrow.

"This phone," I said quietly, spinning the phone in my hands even faster. "Do other people call it like…"

"Like…?" Edward prompted, trying to lean over and look into my eyes. I let my hair swing forward to hide my red cheeks.

"Like… girls?" I finished lamely, feeling my cheeks grow impossibly hotter.

"Oh, Bella," he sighed, placing both hands on my flaming cheeks and raising my head. His deep green eyes stared fiercely into mine and I felt myself melt slightly. "Even back in my dating days, I didn't give out my number willingly. No one was special enough for that. Okay?"

"'Kay," I answered stupidly, my mind spinning as he leaned in close and pressed his lips softly to mine. I held perfectly still, letting my eyes slide closed.

He lingered for a few long seconds before pulling back and sighing again, a look of pure contentment on his face. He gave my nose a soft peck and leaned his forehead against mine.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," he breathed warmly on my face.

I watched him leave, returning his wave when he turned at the door.

Once he was gone, the smile slowly slid from my face. For some reason, I felt more alone than I ever had behind the counter. I wrapped my arms around myself, looking around the blank coffee shop.

I was suddenly aware of the fact that I was still in my clothes from yesterday. I frowned at my wrinkled shirt, sure that someone would notice. I looked at my watch but saw that it was almost time to open. I chewed on my lip, wondering if I should risk running home real quick.

But then I looked out the front doors and saw that guy that had helped out that day that Todd went missing and I remembered that he tended to spend nearly all day hanging out since he had lost his job.

I watched him scrub out his cigarette and amble over to the front doors. He leaned forward, cupping his hand over his eyes to peer into the glass. I waved at him from behind the counter and he quickly stepped in.

"Hey, Bella," he said cheerfully, dressed in his usual black with his dark hair falling in his chubby face.

"Hey… Anthony," I said, suddenly remembering his name. "Help yourself to some coffee."

"Thanks," he said, setting a dollar on the table and grabbing one of the coffee mugs off the mug tree at the mixing counter. I quickly grabbed the milk out of the fridge and set it on the counter for him.

While Anthony was busy fixing his cup of coffee, I slipped into the walk in pantry. I looked around the shelves until I found the box of lost-and-found clothes. I dug around until I found a short-sleeved flannel shirt that looked familiar. I pulled it out, recognizing it as my own.

I cocked my head to the side, trying to figure out why it was in here. I turned it over in my hands until I found a large tear on the front of it, on the middle right hand side.

"Oh, right, I ripped it," I frowned but then shrugged and figured it was at least clean and wrinkle-free. I stepped further into the pantry for some privacy and changed shirts. The rip only showed a small sliver of my white skin but it was just enough for me to be a little embarrassed about it.

Holding the rip closed, I stepped back out behind the counter. Anthony had already headed back outside so I let go of my shirt and opened the cash register drawer.

Sometimes, Julie, the owner, liked to shove little odds and ends beneath the cash till. I lifted the tray of money to reveal paper clips, missing buttons, foreign coins and—to my relief—a large safety pin.

After closing the cash register again, I used the safety pin to carefully close up the hole in my shirt, pinning it on the underside so that it didn't show. I then used the mirror behind the counter to run my fingers through my hair a few times, trying to tame the wild waves.

I sat down on the stool, at a loss of what to do. I was sure I should make some more coffee but it was still early. I was about to get out my novel when I heard a quiet buzzing on the shelf hidden below the counter. I reached in and pulled out Edward's cell phone he had left me.

I bit my lip—one of these days, I bet I'll punch a hole right through that lip with my teeth—and my heart started pounding. I know Edward said that no girls had his number but I was still a little nervous. I took a deep breath and flipped it open.

I smiled as I read the small screen where the text displayed the words:

_Work Cell_

I pressed the Read button and my smile only grew. The text read:

_My dear Bella, I can't stop thinking about you. I have to go back into work today but I'll be sure to stop by later. I'll text you when I can come back._

I sighed contently and slowly wrote out a response, telling him I was thinking of him too. I flopped back onto the stool, my thoughts consumed with Edward.

* * *

The day passed ridiculously slowly. I was nearly done with my novel by the afternoon and was thinking about digging out my next one once I finished the chapter I was on.

I was so absorbed with my reading that I didn't even hear the doors open. I hastily tried to finish the paragraph I was on when I heard footsteps approaching the counter. Once I had, I set the open book facedown on the counter to keep my page and looked up.

"Hi, what can I—"

My eyes grew wide and my question got stuck in my throat when I saw who was standing before me.

It was Todd.

But he didn't look like himself. His clothes were wrinkled and dirty, his shirt untucked and his hair wasn't even combed to its usual perfection. He walked up to the counter with a swagger, smiling at me—no not smiling, leering.

"H-hey, Todd," I stuttered, fingering the edges of my book. "How's it going?"

"Oh, just peachy!" he said in a falsely cheery voice.

"Its…Its been a while," I said lamely, cringing internally, hoping he wouldn't bring up the last time we had seen each other.

"Yup," he said shortly. His eyes stared at me in an unfocused way and I looked away uncomfortably, needing to do something other than stand awkwardly in front of him. I noticed the tub of dirty dishes next to the trash can was looking full so I walked quickly around the counter to get to it.

Todd followed me slowly, swinging his arms lazily at his side.

"So," he said loudly, making me jump. "What _have_ you been up to, Bella?"

"N-not much," I said meekly, a little afraid of the way he was acting. I lifted the tub of dishes and started to rush back to my safety behind the counter.

I hadn't even gone two steps when Todd's arm shot out, gripping my shoulder and spinning me around so fast that the tub of dishes crashed to the floor. Glass mugs and plates shattered on the hardwood and scattered around. A piece of glass flew up, cutting the back of my hand.

"Ow! Todd, what—" I started but gasped as both of his hands gripped both my shoulders tightly, forcing me backward until my back hit the wall.

"I saw that big guy coming in here all week," he growled in my face. I could smell the alcohol on his breath and turned my face away from him, but he was so close that it didn't matter. His putrid scent surrounded me.

"What guy?" I asked in a shaky voice.

"The cop that looks like he's on steroids," Todd hissed, pressing me harder against the wall.

"Jacob?" I squeaked, struggling to get out of his grasp, but that only made him grip tighter. My fingers were quickly starting to lose feeling. "He's nobody!"

"Good, good," Todd said in a low voice, trailing his fingers down my arms to grip my wrists. He stepped forward, pressing his body against mine, trapping me. He felt hot and sweaty; I cringed away from him.

"Todd, what are you doing? Get off of me," I tried to say firmly but his body was forcing me so close to the wall that I could barely breathe.

"Just give in, Bella," he whispered, nipping at my ear and making me shudder. He took the shudder as a good thing, though, and smiled. "That's right…"

"No, Todd!" I gasped. He gripped my wrists tighter, suddenly lifting them above my head to pin them to the wall and pressing his body unbelievably closer. I could feel the hardness in his pants pressing painfully against my pelvic bone and I whimpered.

Visions of my past went flashing through my mind—the back of a dirty van, loud rap music blaring out of the cracked speakers, the boom of the bass vibrating my body as another body hovered over mine. I tore myself out of my memories, my nightmares, to try to focus on the here and now.

"Aw, c'mon," Todd said, giving my ear a slobbery lick. He held both my wrists in one hand and ran the other down my ribs, stopping at the rip in my shirt. He hooked his fingers into the hole and yanked, ripping away half of my shirt. I gasped as I felt his fingernails dig into my skin and struggled against his tight grip but he was much too strong for me.

He shoved his hand into the hole he created, his rough hand groping my stomach and side. His reach circled my waist and dipped down into the back of my pants, fingering the waistband of my panties. I shuddered again, my knees wobbling horribly.

All of a sudden, Todd was ripped away from me. I nearly fell flat on my face but caught myself just in time. I looked around wildly to see a large figure wrestling him out of the door. A figure dressed in black that looked horribly familiar—but not really in a good way.

I stayed where I was against the wall, my arms curled in front of me and my whole body shaking as I gasped for air. I closed my eyes, trying to stave off a panic attack that was surely coming on.

"Bella?" said a well-known husky voice just as a large, warm hand touched my cheek.

My eyes flew open and I found myself face-to-face with Jacob, dressed in his police uniform. I had nearly controlled my shaking but now I was shaking for a different reason. Seeing Jacob here made me instantly angry.

"What do you want?" I spat at him and he dropped his hand, looking surprised.

"I came to apologize," he said quietly, his black eyebrows pulling low over his sad, dark eyes.

"I don't accept," I said through gritted teeth.

"If you'd just let me explain," Jacob started to plead but I cut him off.

"No!" I shouted, shoving him as hard as I could, but it was like pushing against a brick wall. "You lied to me! There's no acceptable explanation for that!"

"Aren't you going to at least thank me?" he said, turning the anger around.

"For what?" I demanded.

"For pulling that jackass off of you, of course!" he shouted, his eyes darting down to look at the large patch of skin now showing. I hastily gathered up my shirt, trying to hide my stomach.

"Fine," I said icily in a mocking voice. "Thank you _so_ much. Will you leave now?"

Jacob narrowed his eyes at me, his chest heaving. He took a step forward, his hands balled up into fists and shaking at his side. His eyes were so dark that it was terrifying but I held my ground, my own hands quivering as they held my shirt. I pressed my lips into a hard line, lifting my chin slightly. I flinched as he took another step towards me.

"You don't know," Jacob growled, pointing a thick finger in my face. "You don't know anything about him. If you did, you wouldn't… you wouldn't…"

His voice started quaking so badly he couldn't finish. He clamped his mouth shut, breathing loud and fast through his nose before spinning around so fast that I flinched again. He marched across the room, pausing at the last table in the room.

Jacob turned halfway and I shrank into the wall. He didn't look at me but with a loud grunting sound, turned over the wooden table he was standing next to, sending chairs and coffee cups crashing to the floor. I covered my head with my arms as one of the chairs went flying across the room; it skidded to a stop barely a foot away.

I braced myself, sure that Jacob was going to upend more tables in his rage but I didn't hear anything else move. I peeked out from under my arms in time to see him striding out the doors and back to his squad car.

I leaned weakly against the wall for a while, still expecting something else to happen. I listened to the squad car as it drove off, tires screeching on the asphalt. When I was sure he had driven completely away, I slid my back down the wall until I was sitting on the hardwood floor. The adrenaline that had fueled my fear and anger had drained quickly, leaving me feeling light-headed. I brought my legs up to my chest, wrapping my arms around them and leaning my head against my knees.

I took deep breaths, trying to calm my shaking, but a buzzing in my pocket made me jerk upright. I backed even farther against the wall, my eyes scanning the room, fully expecting to see someone lunging at me until I realized it was only the cell phone in my pocket. I let out a long breath, laughing shakily at myself.

With trembling fingers, I pulled out the small phone. Flipping it open I saw that I actually had three messages; apparently, I had missed the first two during my struggle with Todd.

Just at the thought of my childhood friend hurting me the way he had made my heart start beating faster. I winced as I felt the bruises I knew were already forming on my upper arms. I closed my eyes briefly, willing my pulse to slow so I could read the texts waiting for me.

I pressed the Read button and wasn't too surprised to see that all the messages were from Edward. The first one read:

_Hey beautiful, I'm going to be done with work early today. I was thinking we could go out on that date we've been planning. What do you say?_

The second one was sent only a few minutes after the first. It said:

_Bella, please call me._

The third one was more panicked. It said:

_I just got a nasty text from Jacob. What the hell is going on? Are you okay?_

As I read Jacob's name, I started shaking even worse than before, my breaths coming in short gasps. I looked around instinctively, still waiting for him to come back or even to see Todd again now that Jacob was gone. I felt my eyes fill with tears at the thought that I needed one monster to keep me safe from another.

But I didn't. I had my real protector back and at my fingertips.

I typed out my response even slower than the one I had made that morning, though that one was four words longer than this one plus the first text I had ever written but my hands were trembling so badly that it took a few tries just to insert the correct letters. Finally, I hit the send button and backed up until my back hit the cupboard behind the register. My answer read _No._

* * *

**::Edward::**

I paced the length of the hospital break room, waiting for two things—for Carlisle to bring back the paperwork I needed to file now that I was back at work and the text message or call from Bella.

I knew it was idiotic of me to freak out over not getting a message back from Bella because I knew she didn't have experience with a cell phone, never having owned one before. But she had answered my first text, though very slowly, and even if someone else had written it for her, I knew she was smart enough to at least be able to read the messages. Maybe she just hadn't heard it ring.

My steps faltered, the pain in my leg flaring up again. I lowered myself onto one of the leather couches situated in the break room, fishing in my pocket for the pain killers I had stashed there. I grimaced at the small white pills, wishing I had something stronger, before dry swallowing them.

Though my leg had been in worse shape than I had realized, it wasn't so bad that I needed to take more time off. Carlisle had doubled the stitches in hopes they would hold better and refilled my supply of antibiotics, gauze and surgical tape.

I leaned my head back against the couch, doing my best to calm my nerves about Bella. Whether or not she got back to me, I was going back to the coffee shop after I was done here. I'm sure the worse that could have happened was she didn't want me back after all…

Just as I was finishing that horrendous thought, my phone vibrated in my pocket. I whipped it out so fast I nearly dropped it but when I flipped it open, I let out a growl of frustration when I saw that the text was from Jacob.

I sighed heavily and pushed the Read button anyways. It said:

_Good luck with fucking Bella. She's got more shit going on with her than you know. Let's hope she doesn't figure out your shit._

Before I had even finished reading the text, I could feel my whole body shaking with anger. My eyes glazed over, my vision clouding with red. I gripped my phone so tightly I could hear the plastic case crackling with the strain.

Closing my eyes, I pinched the bridge of my nose between my thumb and forefinger, breathing so hard that I could feel my head getting dizzier by the second.

"Edward?"

I felt a large hand on my shoulder but I didn't open my eyes. When I didn't respond, Emmett gave my shoulder a small shake.

"Edward," he said again, louder than before. "What's going on, man?"

"Fucking Jacob," I growled under my breath and I felt Emmett tug the phone out of my hand.

"Shit," he swore quietly, shoving the phone back into my palm and then saying forcefully, "Don't answer him. What did Bella say?"

"She hasn't answered yet," I said in a low voice, pinching my nose tighter.

"Try again," Emmett insisted, pushing my hand holding the phone closer to me.

I sighed again and opened my eyes. Hands still shaking, I typed out another message to Bella, trying my best not to sound too panicky.

_I just got a nasty text from Jacob. What the hell is going on? Are you okay?_

I held my breath as I waited for an answer, not taking my eyes off the small screen. Emmett was even quiet for once, for which I was grateful. I could practically hear all the violent solutions on how to handle Jacob going through his mind and though I'm sure I would have agreed with every one of them, getting rid of Jacob just wasn't an option right now.

After what felt like a lifetime, my phone finally buzzed and I pushed the Read button even before it had finished.

If I had hoped Bella's answer would have made me fell any better, I was dead wrong. I frowned at the screen and the two tiny letters that formed one word—_No._

"What'd she say?" Emmett said impatiently.

"No," I whispered in a strangled voice, my body suddenly frozen as all the worst case scenarios ran through my head. "She's not okay."

"What?" Emmett demanded, ripping the phone out of my hands again. He frowned at her answer. "Well, shit, let's leave!"

The sound of Emmett snapping my phone shut brought me out of my daze and I leapt off the couch, not even caring anymore about the damn paperwork I was waiting for. I'd call Carlisle later.

Emmett and I had ridden to work together in his monstrous jeep. It usually annoyed the shit out of me when he asked to drive to work because it usually meant stopping at a million different places either before or after work but now I was glad. I don't think I'd be able to drive in the state I was in now.

Emmett managed to beat every light in town, making it to the coffee shop in mere minutes. Just as we were about to pull up, I saw a couple of the metal chairs that sat outside turned over and though this shouldn't have been cause for panic, I had a bad feeling about it. Before the jeep had even come to a complete stop, I was throwing myself out of the car and toward the glass doors of the shop.

I paused just inside the doors at the sight of the table and chairs scattered across the floor, mingled with bits of glass. I couldn't see Bella anywhere. I felt my heart clench, terror taking over my whole body. I took an unsteady step forward.

"Bella?' I called quietly, having trouble getting enough volume out through my fear of what kind of state I would find her in.

The whole place was utterly silent. I shuffled forward another step, taking a deep breath to call out louder.

"Bella!" I called with more feeling, straining my ears for the tiniest sound to alert me that she was there.

"Edward?"

I heard the tiny voice calling to me from the back of the room and it felt as though my heart was going to jump out of my chest. I suddenly found my feet and sprinted forward, leaping over the mess covering the floor, ignoring the pain that shot through my leg. I slipped a little on one of the larger bits of glass that I now recognized as a piece of a coffee mug and after I shoved a toppled chair out of the way I found her.

Huddled in a ball behind the register counter was my Bella. Her arms were wrapped tightly around her knees that she had pulled up to her chest, her body rocking slightly. I could see a mark on her pale forehead where she had been pressing her face into her knees but she had her head raised now, her chocolate brown eyes wide, her cheeks streaked with tears.

I knelt carefully in front of her and her panicked eyes followed my every movement. I crawled forward slowly, doing my best not to alarm her.

"Bella," I said softly, extending a hand out to her. "Are you hurt?"

The movement of her head was so small that I almost didn't see. First, she shook her head no but then she changed her mind and nodded. I crept forward another few inches, my eyes roaming every exposed bit of skin for a sign of injury. When I couldn't find anything obvious, I frowned.

"Bella, what—" I started but stopped the instant her hands moved.

Unclenching her fingers, Bella tugged at her shirt sleeve, raising it high enough to expose her upper arm where I could see angry red marks disfiguring her porcelain skin. Shifting closer, I could see the marks already starting to purple. My eyes grew wider as she turned to show me her other arm where the marks were identical. I was about to ask who did this to her when she let her legs drop to the floor, revealing her midsection. I gasped as her slender fingers pulled at the hole in her shirt surrounding three long scratches that were bleeding freely, as was the back of her left hand.

At the sight of the blood, I sprang into action. I ran to the sink, grabbed a clean towel and wet it under the tap. I heard Emmett come into the shop and rounded on him, stopping him in his tracks.

"Bandages and antibiotics, now!" I shouted at him. He retreated with a nod.

I fell to my knees in front of Bella and pulled her hands away from her stomach, gently placing them in her lap. As I began cleaning her cuts, Emmett came to my side, dropping a handful of supplies on the floor.

"Shit, Bella, what happened in here?" he asked bluntly, looking around the room. I raised my eyes to Bella's but she was looking down at her hands as they twisted uncomfortably.

"It-it… H-he came…and then…then…"

Bella stuttered to a stop, her breathing accelerating. I stopped what I was doing and placed a hand gently on her cheek, rubbing it soothingly with my thumb. Slowly, she calmed down and after gulping loudly, she closed her eyes and tried again.

"T-Todd came in," she whispered as Emmett took over bandaging her hand. "He is…was an old friend of mine. He was angry and wanted to know who Jacob was. He pushed me against the wall. When I t-t-told him he was nobody, he… he…"

She trailed off again, tears sliding silently down her face and pooling in my palm that still held her. She opened her eyes again, looking at me sadly.

"What did he do, Bella?" I asked in a forced calm voice. She didn't answer at first but cast her eyes down to her torn shirt. I growled under my breath.

"H-he tried to… t-t-touch me," she stuttered in a whisper so quiet I almost didn't hear her.

Emmett and I froze, staring wide-eyed at Bella. I was too afraid to voice my next question but it needed to be done.

"And… did he?" I asked slowly. I breathed a sigh of relief when she shook her head fiercely.

"No. Jacob came in and got him off of me," she said, sounding both angry and scared. "But when I didn't accept his apology for what happened before, he got mad and…"

Her eyes roamed over the disaster of a room and I didn't need her to finish. Taking a deep breath, I dropped my hand and took the supplies from Emmett. I cleaned the cuts on her stomach, gently covering them with antibiotic ointment. I arranged a few bandages over the scrapes, smoothing the thin fabric with my fingertips carefully; I felt a small twinge of arousal at the sight of her exposed bellybutton. I started to trace a path with my fingers towards the small hole but stopped abruptly when I heard Emmett clear his throat loudly.

"I'll just be waiting outside," he said with a chuckle. He clapped me on the shoulder and left.

I tore my eyes away from the beautiful sight of Bella's bare skin to look at her face. She had her eyes down again but lifted them as though she could feel my gaze on her. I gave her one of my lopsided grins and she returned it with a small, watery smile.

"Looks like I just can't leave you out of my sight," I said softly and she blushed. I touched her warm, red cheek with my fingertips, caressing her soft skin.

"But what can we do about that?" she whispered, looking up at my shyly from under her long lashes.

"Well, we can't stay at my place, obviously," I said thoughtfully as she shifted uncomfortably. "But what about yours?"

Bella's eyes grew wide and she shook her head frantically. My heart and hand fell, my brows pulling low over my eyes. I tried to play it off, shrugging one shoulder and giving her another half a grin.

"No big deal," I said, brushing her nose with the back of my finger.

"No, no it's not that!" she said quickly, grabbing my hand with both of hers. "Of course I _want_ to stay with you tonight, it's just that…"

She paused and started gnawing on her lower lip. I waited patiently for her to finish, though I couldn't help but hold my breath as I let her work up the courage to answer. I was still a little afraid of what she might say.

"I live with my aunt and I don't think she'd… approve—" Bella wrinkled her nose at the word and continued, "—of guests. At least, I don't think she would… in this case."

I gave a small chuckle, glad that her hesitation wasn't because of me.

"Doesn't she know you have a boyfriend?" I asked and then cringed, worried that I had used the wrong term for what we were. Bella noticed too.

"Boyfriend, huh?" she said in a playful voice, raising an eyebrow. "But we haven't even gone out on a real date."

I couldn't help but grin hugely at her, feeling as though I was floating on a cloud when she didn't reject the idea.

"Maybe we should change that," I answered coyly, leaning in closer. I heard her give a small gasp as I got close enough to brush my lips against hers.

"Maybe we should," she whispered against my lips.

I smiled and then pressed my mouth softly to hers, running my hand up her arm. I stopped abruptly when she sucked in a sharp breath, pulling back slightly.

"Careful," she murmured, sucking her lower lip in between her teeth.

"Sorry, I forgot."

I pulled back a little farther and kept trailing my fingertips up her smooth arm, barely touching at all. When I got to her sleeve, I pulled carefully, lifting it high enough to see the painful marks. I frowned and leaned forward, placing a soft kiss on every red and purple line covering her soft skin. I glanced sideways at her; her eyes were closed, her lip still between her teeth, and I took this as a good sign. I repeated my gesture on her other arm and her stomach, using my fingers to tease at her bellybutton. A ripple of pleasure shuddered through her body, her breath coming out unevenly between her lips as they parted slightly.

I ran my nose up the buttons down the middle of her shirt, leaving soft kisses at the skin showing at her collarbone. She tilted her head back, exposing her long neck to me. I let out a quiet moan of longing, touching my fingers at the space where her neck met her shoulder before planting an open-mouth kiss there.

"Are you sure there's no way I can spend the night with you?" I breathed against her skin, bringing my lips up to her ear where I kissed her lobe gently. I smiled in triumph as she gave a small shudder.

"I could think of something," she said shakily.

"Sounds good to me," I chuckled, making a trail of kisses across her cheek until I reached her mouth. I brushed my lips across hers and then sucked lightly on the bottom one. She gave a delicious moan and I felt a twitch in my pants. At the rate I was going now, we were going to end up doing something as fucking stupid as… well, fucking, right here in the coffee shop during business hours.

I pulled back reluctantly, sighing as she opened her eyes.

"Why don't we clean up here and then I'll take you out," I said softly, caressing her cheek again.

Bella gave a small nod, looking just as unwilling as I was to stop what we were doing. I helped her to her feet and placed her on the stool behind the counter. When she tried to stand up again, I gave her a stern looked, pointing my finger at her. She rolled her eyes and sighed, wrapping her arms around herself. I slipped out of my blue work jacket and slung it around her shoulders, tucking it securely under her chin. She smiled happily.

I beckoned Emmett back in and the two of us got the shop back in order over the course of an hour. When no one came in the whole time, Bella agreed that it was safe to lock up for the night.

I insisted on driving Bella back to her house so she could clean up, which meant driving her decrepit car as Emmett followed. Bella tried to stifle her giggles as I tried to maneuver her car through the streets, shooting fake dirty looks in her direction as I complained about all the things wrong with it, but this only made her laugh harder. I was so happy to see her smiling and laughing again.

When we got to her house, she asked me not to walk her to the door. I narrowed my eyes at her, trying to get her to explain why but when she simply chewed her lip nervously, I let it go.

"Will you explain everything to me later please?" I asked, cupping her chin with my hand. After thinking it over for a moment, she nodded.

I kissed her cheek once and leaned back again, not wanting to escalate things again, no matter how much I wanted to. But the time would come, I was sure of that.

She got out of the car slowly, leaving my jacket on the seat. She leaned in the open window and I tried my hardest not to stare down her shirt as it fluttered open a little.

"I'll text you when I'm ready," she told me before blowing a kiss and sauntering up the steps to her house.

And I'm not going to lie—I watched that perfectly round ass and those swinging hips the whole way up to the door.

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**I think I've tortured you readers enough with this almost-smut so be ready for something good in the next chapter! Promise…**

**And I just thought I should mention that every time I get a new reader, I squeal like a little girl, hopping around the room, freaking out my dog, while I text my pre-reader. You guys make me effing giddy! **

**And don't forgot… Reviews make E/B just as happy.**


	8. Chapter 8: Give & Take & Roller Skates

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So, crisis this past couple weeks… My hard drive crashed! Luckily, all my work is always saved on my USB thumb drive but I still didn't have any way to finish writing up the chapter. I finally got my laptop back so I could finish but then I had the problem of finding time with my Beta to… well…beta the chapter! We've both been pretty busy lately so this chapter is, once again, beta-less and I hope no one minds but I wanted to get it up.

Oh and welcome to my newest readers! You guys make me happy!

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**::Bella::**

I stood staring at the contents of my dresser for what felt like hours. I pawed through each and every piece of clothing three times before finally deciding something.

I seriously had nothing good to wear.

I started to open the drawers again, hoping something presentable to wear on my first date with Edward would jump out at me, but I knew nothing would so I just slammed the drawers shut again.

I flopped onto my bed, growling in frustration. I looked at my alarm clock, amazed that I had actually only been looking for something to wear for ten minutes. Usually, it took only a few minutes to find what I wanted so ten minutes felt like forever to be looking but tonight, I wanted something special. Something… I apparently didn't have.

I hadn't even thought about the fact that jeans and a flannel shirt just wouldn't do tonight while I showered awkwardly, doing my best to keep my bandaged hand out of the hot water. I had cleaned up quickly, washing my hair one handed, eager to get back to Edward.

Sighing heavily, I went back to my dresser. With a frown, I pulled out my best pair of skinny jeans and tossed them on the bed. I opened the middle drawer where I kept the shirts I rarely wore and got out one of my nicer button-up shirts. It was a dark blue that I always thought contrasted nicely with my pale skin. After putting them on, I decided that if I couldn't dress as nicely as I wanted, maybe I could compensate by putting on a bit more makeup than usual and maybe even fixing my hair.

I tiptoed out of my room, careful not to disturb Tess, who was watching a movie with her husband, Ben, and past my cousins' room, where they were playing a noisy video game.

Once I had shut myself into the bathroom, I pulled out Edward's cell and sent him a message, telling him I'd be ready in fifteen minutes and hoping I could actually stick to my own time frame. It only took him seconds to answer, assuring me he'd be waiting for me soon.

Taking a deep breath, I turned to Tess's huge supply of makeup that filled the drawers under the sink and covered the counter. I put on the cover-up and mascara easily, what with it being my normal daily routine, but I was sure to choose my eyeshadow and liner carefully. I settled on a set of browns, trying to simply compliment the brown of my eyes. It didn't take as long as I thought it would to apply but then it was time to tackle my long hair.

On a normal day, I'd let my hair do its own thing, drying it just enough to let the waves take over. That wouldn't be enough tonight so after some contemplation I decided curls would be a nice change. It'd been a while since I had done them but I remembered the technique.

I worked quickly, curling the ends loosely and admiring the end result of the ringlets that cascaded down my back. After a brief spraying of hairspray, I was happy with how the overall look turned out.

I jumped as the cell phone vibrated on the counter. I snatched it up quickly, hoping Tess didn't hear it, and read through Edward's message that he'd be there within five minutes.

After looking nervously toward the living room, I hurried back down to the basement, still working out a plan in my head for how I was getting in and out of here.

I had just reached for my jacket when I heard on knock on my bedroom door. I turned hesitantly, terrified that Edward had actually come to the front door and that Tess now knew about him.

I heard the door creak open and Tess called down to me.

"Bella? Ben and I are going out," she said, sounding nervous. "Would you… like to come with us?"

I stared dumbly in the direction of Tess's voice, momentarily forgetting that she had changed her attitude towards me recently. I shook my head and tried to answer her politely and normally, suddenly struck with an idea.

"N-no, that's alright," I said, putting my plan into action. "I'm not feeling well tonight."

"Oh," she said quietly, pausing before continuing in a voice that sounded too concerned, "Would you like me to bring you anything?"

"Uh, I'm not hungry, I'm just going to bed," I answered, hoping her intense dislike of catching an illness would keep her away.

"Well, then I'll see you later then," she said quickly; I breathed a sigh of relief as she closed the door, listening to her heels click away down the hall.

I threw on my dark grey jacket, glad that I finally had a place to wear such a nice coat, slipped on my sneakers and went to my dresser.

I had thought about it since Edward had asked to stay over and decided that the easiest way to avoid Tess was to climb in and out of my bedroom window. I still wasn't sure how to explain about my difficult life at home to Edward but I had promised that I would. And obviously I would have to if I was going to have us sneak into the house.

After carefully stashing all my framed photos in my sock drawer for safe keeping, I hoisted myself out of the window, trying not to stain my jeans on the grass. After brushing off my knees, I snuck up to the front of the house. I peeked around the side of the house, smiling hugely when I saw that Edward was pulling up and that Tess's car was already long gone.

I hurried to his shiny silver Volvo, glancing over my shoulder nervously, but there was no one around. Edward opened my door from the inside, swinging it wide open before sitting back behind the wheel.

"Hi," I said breathlessly as I slid into the passenger seat, stealing another glance towards the house, half expecting to see my cousins with their noises pressed up against the front window. I turned back to Edward to see him looking at me with an amused expression on his face.

"Are you a fugitive tonight?" he asked with a chuckle.

"I guess you could say that," I answered, blushing furiously and twisting my hands nervously in my lap. I let me hair fall forward. "My aunt doesn't know I'm gone."

"Hmm," Edward murmured thoughtfully, brushing my hair back so I would look up at him. "I'm curious about that."

"Why don't we get going then," I said softly, looking up at him from under my lashes.

Edward ran his fingers through my hair again, letting the soft curls slide through his fingers. He brought one of them to his face, inhaling deeply, before letting it fall back onto my shoulder. Of course, I blushed again but that only made him smile wider.

We rode in comfortable silence for a few minutes before I even thought to ask where we were going. Once we drove out of the city limits, I couldn't wait any longer but his answer wasn't very helpful.

"You'll see," he said simply, chuckling when I stuck out my lip in a pout.

I leaned back in my seat, watching the scenery flicker past my window, feeling completely at ease. After a while, I felt Edward's hand on my knee.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked quietly.

I turned to answer, momentarily lost in his deep green eyes and the feel of his touch as he rubbed his thumb on my leg. He smiled crookedly at me and I felt my stomach flutter.

"Just wondering where we're going," I answered with a shrug, knowing that it didn't matter where he took me as long as he was there with me.

Edward kept his hand on my knee for the rest of the drive and I placed mine on top, gripping it lightly. I did my best not to stare at his perfectly sculpted face and tried even harder not to reach out and run my fingers along the stubble covering his sharp jaw line, not wanting to distract him from his driving. If he felt me looking at him at all, he didn't mind so eventually, I gave in, drinking in the sight of him in the dim light.

We traveled for nearly forty five minutes before I stopped ogling him to read the sign just inside the exit to see where we were going. We didn't have to go much farther until we reached our destination and I gaped at the sign over the building we were parked in front of.

The Skating Rink.

I sat frozen in my seat, not even noticing that Edward was already standing at my door, holding it open with his hand held out expectantly.

"Bella?" he said apprehensively when I didn't step out of the car.

"Edward, I can't," I said in a small voice, still staring in horror at the blinking florescent letters above the rink.

"Can't do what?" he asked, dropping his hand, his voice full of sadness.

"Skate," I whispered, my voice cracking.

Edward chuckled, crouching down in the open doorway. He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed.

"You gave me a heart attack there," he admitted and I turned to him in confusion. "I thought you meant you couldn't do the date in general."

He chuckled again, sounding nervous, and I smiled timidly, fingering the ends of my curls fretfully.

"I told myself I'd be willing to go anywhere with you," I confessed quietly. "But this…"

I gestured hopelessly at The Skating Rink.

"What are you so worried about?" Edward asked gently, smoothing my hair out of my face.

"L-looking like a total spaz in front of you," I stuttered in a humiliated voice, waiting for him to laugh at me.

Instead of laughing, he simply took my face in both of his hands, turning my mortified face to look at him. His face was full of nothing but kindness and I knew, in that look, that he would never laugh at me, no matter how stupid I looked in front of him. He sighed, leaning in closer.

"You'll always look nothing less than beautiful to me," he breathed across my face, making my heart skip a beat.

After kissing me lightly, Edward stood, holding his hand out to me again. I bit my lip, hesitating just slightly, and then took it firmly. He didn't let go as he led me in, not even when he held the door open for me.

When we got inside, I was bombarded with the smell of popcorn, hot dogs and pretzels. The air was vibrating with the roar of the dozens of skates gliding across the hard, polished floor. I watched as a group of kids raced across the rink, slamming their bodies to a stop against the waist high wall surrounding it, laughing hysterically. I smiled with them until I saw a young couple spinning gracefully, hand in hand, and knew that I would never be as poised as that girl.

"Are you sure I can do this?" I said in a shaky voice, clutching at Edward's arm.

"What, that?" Edward asked, pointing at the elegant couple. When I nodded, he laughed. "No, but I can't either."

"Oh, right," I muttered sheepishly, looking down at my feet as they scuffed the floor. "Do you promise not to let me fall?"

"Not once," he whispered in my ear, his warm breath making me shiver as it tickled my skin.

We both went to the counter to rent our skates, Edward not letting go of my hand until we had to sit on one of the wooden benches to take off our shoes.

I fumbled with the laces of my sneakers, managing to untie one but getting the other in such a tight knot that Edward finally took pity on me and helped get my foot free. He tickled the bottom of my feet playfully, making me giggle and smack him on the shoulder, and then slid my skates on. He tied them tightly and then stood, holding out both hands to me.

Taking a deep breath, I grasped his hands and stood shakily, feeling the skates start to slip out from underneath me already. I gasped, holding Edward's hands painfully tight, letting him steady me. When I felt stable enough, I looked up at him.

"Ready?" he asked with a smile.

"Sure?" I said uncertainly.

Wrapping one arm firmly around my waist, Edward helped me wobble to the opening in the short wall around the rink. He let me pause before tightening his grip around me and stepping onto the hard floor.

As I expected, it was even harder to keep from falling once I was off the thin carpet and on the polished wood and my feet actually flew out from under me. Edward caught me easily before I could hit the floor, propping me back up on my skates. I felt like a kid as I held fast to Edward's hand at my hip until he took my other hand and brought it to his lips. He kissed my knuckles sweetly, holding our clasped hands to his chest.

"Are you sure?" I asked again, feeling my legs quake underneath me.

"Just relax," he assured me, placing a kiss on top of my head, pausing for a moment to breathe me in. "Trust me."

We set off slowly, Edward guiding me easily while I shuffled my feet, gasping and squeaking every time I felt my legs start to slide out from under me again. But he was patient with me, never going faster than I could manage.

After we made it safely around the rink a few times, Edward switched it up and started to pull away from me. I shot him a panicked look, gripping his hand tighter, but he merely smiled at me. Keeping one hand on my lower back, he led me around the rink once more before swinging around to skate backward in front of me, letting go of both hands completely.

It took every once of concentration to stay upright and though I felt myself pitching forward and backward a few times as I struggled to balance myself, I didn't fall. I smiled in triumph, feeling every muscle in my body burning with exertion but I didn't let myself falter.

"Told you," Edward said happily, skating backwards expertly. I stared at the way his hips swayed from side to side, my inattention almost making me fall.

I was practically sweating by the time Edward took my hand and led me off the rink. We sat back down, unlacing our skates and switching them for our shoes again. I had a bit of trouble with the knots again, mainly because of the way he distracted me with his soft kisses on my neck. I giggled, playfully shrugging him away so I could get my shoes on the right feet. He chuckled against my skin, wrapping his arm around me again so we could go order some dinner.

It wasn't until I was sitting in one of the red plastic booths, a hot dog, potato chips and soda sitting in front of me, that I remembered that I was supposed to tell Edward about my living situation. I wondered if I'd be able to put it off, even though he was expecting to stay over, but he didn't give me a chance to ponder it.

"So, tell me about your aunt," he said suddenly, opening a packet of mustard and squirting it onto his hot dog. He smiled at me as he tore open his ketchup.

I paused in the act of dressing my own hot dog, setting down the condiments and stalling with a long drink out of my soda cup. When I felt myself getting a brain freeze from drinking too fast, I set aside the drink, wincing, and took a deep breath.

"What do you wanna know?" I asked evasively, casting my eyes down as I fiddled with a potato chip.

"For starters, does she know what happened the night we…met?" he asked and I was glad that he skirted around the actual events of the night.

"Yes and no," I shrugged. "She knows basically what happened but I don't think she was in the room when I, you know, mentioned you."

"Why don't you think she'd approve of us?' he asked thoughtfully, taking a bite of his food.

"She doesn't really… approve… of much of anything I do," I said, squirming in my seat. I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth, not sure how to continue.

Edward sighed, putting down his food and pushing it out of the way. He reached across the table, picked up my hand and squeezed it gently. I looked up into his clear green eyes and felt myself relax in the gentleness I saw there.

"No matter what Bella," he said softly, teasing my lip out from between my teeth with his free hand. "No matter what… nothing will change my mind about us."

I blushed, smiling at the idea of an us. He smiled back encouragingly and while still holding my hand, continued to eat.

And with that, I was able to tell him everything. I told him about my parents dying and the sense of déjà vu I had gotten that first night we shared, and about going to live with Tess. I told him about how she expected me to run the house for her and how I finally broke her control over me. I explained to him how confused I was when she admitted I wasn't actually related to her and then started acting decently towards me and voiced my concerns that she'd use that against me to keep me from trying to leave the house. I had a feeling she'd feel having a boyfriend would prompt me to do just that and that deep down she still didn't want to lose her maid. He didn't interrupt until I stopped to take a drink.

"Did she tell you anything else about your real uncle?" he asked, wiping the mustard off his lips with a napkin.

"Actually, no," I said around a bite of hot dog. "But here's the real kick… Do you remember that trucker Charlie?"

"Yeah of course," Edward said, picking up his soda. "He was a decent guy."

"Well, he showed up and, uh…" I paused, not sure how to put it, but then just barreled on. "He told me that he's my real father."

Edward nearly spit out his soda. He dropped the cup, coughing heavily into his fist. When he recovered, he gave a small laugh.

"You're kidding, right?" he asked in a strained voice, his eyes watering.

"Nope," I said quietly, staring down at my half-eaten dinner.

"But… your parents…"

"Turns out Charlie and my mom were old friends," I mumbled, sighing as I realized I still hadn't fully processed the idea. "They had only one night together but that was all it took."

"And what do you think about all that?" Edward asked kindly and when I shrugged he continued, "Have you talked to him since then?"

"No," I shook my head. "He offered me a place to stay if I wanted though. He owns an apartment complex, apparently."

"Huh," he said simply, and it was quiet for a few moments until he thankfully changed the subject, obviously sensing my uneasiness. "So how does tonight work? Are you still up for it?"

I glanced up at him through my lashes, smiling at the eager look on his face.

"Of course," I answered. "But remember… I'm a fugitive tonight."

Edward laughed loudly, throwing his head back.

"So, how are we getting into your house?" he asked.

"We gotta climb in the window," I answered, popping a chip into my mouth and chewing slowly.

"No problem, you only have a one story house," he shrugged. "Which room is yours?"

"Well, I live in the basement," I answered apprehensively. He narrowed his eyes but didn't comment on it, merely asking if I was finished eating.

I nodded, not even realizing how late it had gotten until I noticed the large clock by the food counter read that it was past nine already and we still had the long drive home.

A long drive in which to think over how that night was going to go.

This time, the silence in the car was a little awkward, at least for me. I sat quietly, fidgeting with the buttons of my coat, chewing on my lip. I wasn't sure at first if Edward noticed my preoccupation until he finally reached over and trailed his fingers along my cheek. I couldn't help but lean into it, feeling calmer already.

"What's wrong?" he asked softly, rubbing my cheek with his thumb.

"I'm just thinking," I said slowly. "About how tonight is going to go…"

I trailed off, waiting for him to say something. He sighed deeply, running his thumb across my lower lip. I closed my eyes in contentment, his mere touch in only one spot soothing all the tense muscles in my body.

"We could just hang out, if you'd like," he said tenderly and I nodded into his palm. He chuckled quietly, sighing happily again.

I was completely at ease until we made it back into town, my body tensing anxiously the closer we got to my street.

Without even having to ask, Edward slowed down once we reached it, parking two houses away from mine. I sat up straighter in my seat, peering through the front windshield for Tess's car. I breathed a sigh of relief when I only saw my Mustang. I nodded at Edward who smiled, put the car in park and cut the engine. He looked at me for a moment, his forehead creasing.

"Are you sure you okay with this?" he asked, putting his hand on my knee again.

"Yes," I said, taking a deep breath and answering him honestly. "I don't want to spend another night away from you."

I looked up at him shyly but his huge grin wiped every doubt from my mind and I found myself smiling back.

"Let's go be sneaky, then," he whispered gleefully.

Edward and I clasped hands and ran up to the house. After a quick peek to check if the living room was empty of cousins, we cut around to the back of the house. He didn't even question me when I carefully slipped into my open window, landing quietly in the darkness. I was tempted to leave the light off—I was pretty embarrassed by our method of entry—but I didn't want Edward to miss the dresser and get hurt.

I switched on my lamp and stood awkwardly in the middle of the room. I watched Edward drop onto my dresser with ease, stepping down onto the floor silently.

"Not bad," he murmured, looking around the room.

"You mean for a basement bedroom?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. Edward shot me a panicked look but after seeing my smile, he knew I was joking and grinned.

"What would you like to do now?" he asked, stepping forward and brushing his fingers along my cheek.

"Um… we could talk," I offered lamely, distracted by his warm touch.

He trailed his fingers down my neck, my shoulder, all the way to my hand. He gripped it lightly and led me over to the bed. I sat down slowly, crossing my legs underneath me and he mirrored my pose. We sat quietly for a few minutes, adjusting to the new, intimate setting.

"What did you want to talk about?" I whispered, watching his fingers draw patterns on the back of my outstretched hand.

"You suggested talking," he said with a quiet laugh.

"Oh. Right." I said, blushing. He lifted his free hand and brushed it against my warm cheek.

"Tell me more about you," he offered, smiling sweetly.

"Like what?" I said breathlessly, lost in his smile.

"Have you ever had a boyfriend before?" he asked and when I blushed, he chuckled. "Damn, I love it when you blush."

Of course, this only made me blush deeper. I bit my lip, hesitant about how much to reveal to him about my past relationships. But I knew I could trust him and if we were going to have a serious relationship, then he needed to know.

"I dated a few boys in high school," I said slowly. "And I was with this one guy for almost two years."

"Were you guys serious?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I guess you could say that," I muttered, frowning down at our hands as they twined together. Edward wasn't going to like what I had to say.

As though sensing my unease, Edward moved closer, wrapping his arms around my shoulders and leaning his forehead against mine. I circled his waist with my own arms.

"You can tell me anything," he whispered, his breath warm and soothing on my face.

"I know," I breathed back, closing my eyes. "You're just not going to be happy about it."

I felt his arms tense around me but he just nodded against my forehead.

"His name was Tyler Crowly," I said quietly, my mind reeling back into memories of when I was seventeen. "He was tall, dark skinned, and on the basketball team. He was also a straight A student."

I laughed at the memory of how excited I was to have a smart jock interested in me. Our good grades were how we had gotten together—we had both joined the tutor club to put on our college admission forms. We would spend hours together planning our lessons and dividing up the students between ourselves and the four other members of the club.

"He was my first real boyfriend and I thought I was in love," I sighed. "But I knew that he had many girlfriends before me, many of them slutty cheerleaders, and I knew he'd be expecting a lot from me…"

"You mean, like, sexual things?" Edward asked, his voice shaking a little. When I nodded, he sighed heavily.

"At first, I figured it was no big deal," I shrugged under his arms. "He was my boyfriend and I knew we were supposed to do stuff together. It's what everyone else did."

"But you didn't have to—" Edward started to say angrily but I cut him off with a quick shake of my head.

"I know that now," I told him, tightening my grip around his waist. "But I was young and just liked the feeling of thinking I was loved, even when I knew he really didn't. It was obvious whenever I would deny him anything."

"So, what did you guys… do?" Edward asked hesitantly.

"Mostly stuff for him," I said with a frown.

"Did you two ever have sex?" he asked quietly, sounding like he was dreading the answer.

"Technically, yes, a couple of times," I answered, squirming uncomfortably.

"What do you mean, 'technically?'" Edward asked sharply, sitting back to look at my face. His eyebrows were pulled low over his eyes, casting them in shadow but I could see the tense outline of his jaw and knew he was furious.

"Well, does it really count as sex when only one person enjoys it?" I asked with a grimace. I shifted again, remembered too well the feeling of Tyler pushing into me roughly, not stopping when I told him he was going too far. I had always hoped sex would be earth-shattering—but in a good way. "He was very demanding and not very gentle. He never even asked if I felt anything good as long as he got off."

"You've never had an orgasm?" Edward asked bluntly, his tone both upset and sympathetic, as though it pained him to contemplate such a thing.

"No," I said shyly. "At least, I don't think so."

Edward gave a small laugh, sitting back a little more.

"I'd like to change that for you, if that's okay," he said, giving me a breathtaking crooked smile; I felt my insides melt.

"You d-d-don't have to," I stuttered, my cheeks growing warm.

'That's how relationships work, Bella," he said, putting his hand on my cheek and rubbing his thumb softly across my warm skin. "We both deserve to feel good."

I felt my heart start beating wildly at the idea of both giving Edward pleasure and actually receiving it in return. But I was scared. I'd never had a real orgasm and knew it could be a powerful thing. I had no idea what to expect.

"Don't be scared," Edward whispered, correctly interpreting my expression. "You know I'd never do anything to hurt you."

I nodded and my breath hitched as he leaned in to press his lips to mine.

We started slow and tender, brushing our lips softly against each other. I expected him to take the initiative and speed things up but then remembered that this was about me. He wanted me to decide when and how fast I wanted things to go.

I reached up and worked my fingers into his soft, coppery hair, gripping lightly and pressing my chest up against his. Our legs were still crossed, making it difficult to get as close as I wanted, so I untangled my legs and pulled him gently. He took the hint and reached his arms out behind me, leaning our bodies back until I was lying flat on my back with his arms braced on either side of me. I tugged on his hair, deepening the kiss and he moaned into my mouth.

I smiled against his lips, trailing my hand down his spine until I reached his lower back. I pressed down and he gently lowered his body onto mine with a longing groan. I could feel his hardness press against my pelvic bone and shifted by body up until he was situated between my legs.

As soon as he felt the heat, Edward jerked, pressing himself tighter against my body. I lifted my hips, pressing back, making him groan again. He pulled back from our kiss, leaning his forehead against mine and breathing heavily.

"This is supposed to be about you," he panted, brushing my hair back from my face.

"I don't mind if we both get a little something." I lifted my hips again, making him gasp.

"Do you… do you have any rubbers?" he panted, kissing my neck.

"No…"

"Fuck," he growled, burying his face in my neck. My hands fell limply to my sides. He sat up slowly and I was surprised to see him smiling again. "We'll just have to make this _all_ about you after all."

"But… what about…" I started to protest but he cut me off with a kiss.

I wrapped my arms around his neck again, desperate for him to get closer than he was. He dipped his tongue into mine, making me moan. I shot my tongue back and he growled again, this time with pleasure.

I was too occupied to notice that his hand was traveling down my front until he was suddenly there, where I could feel myself getting unbearably hot. He lightly touched right in the center, feeling me between my jeans. I instantly felt my panties get wet and I shuddered.

I didn't stop him as he undid my jeans. He lay down next to me and pulled them down to my thighs and I shimmied out of them. Somehow, we managed not to break our frantic kissing.

My window was still open so it only took seconds for my legs to get goose bumps from the cold. I shivered again and Edward ran his hand up and down my thigh, causing me to shiver instead in anticipation.

Unwillingly, Edward stopped kissing me and his jade green eyes bore into mine.

"I want to know what feels good," he whispered, planting a soft kiss on the corner of my mouth.

"I don't know what feels good," I said, another tremor rippling through my midsection.

Edward gave me a crooked smile. His fingers danced up my leg, stopping just at the crease where my panties started. My breath started to come embarrassingly fast and loud, making him pause. I nodded at him and he continued, hooking his fingers under the elastic of the pink cotton.

I gasped involuntarily as his cool fingers pried my panties down just enough for him to feel the soft pink folds. He ran his fingers up and down the outside a few times, gauging my reaction, before carefully parting the folds to touch where it was the wettest.

I felt my hips buck as he touched in the very center, right where it was the most sensitive. My eyes closed as my head lolled back onto the pillow and he chuckled quietly, pressing his fingers gently to the spot and making small circles.

"Can I go in?" he breathed in my ear. I nodded distractedly and he kissed my earlobe softly.

Maddeningly slowly he moved his fingers farther lower until he smoothly slipped his middle finger inside of me. I gasped again as he pulled his finger in and out. It felt so good, like my entire body was tingling, feeling both hot and cold at the same time, and the feeling got even stronger when he smoothly added a second finger.

My lower body jumped, my legs twitched, as he pumped his fingers, slow at first and then gradually faster as I gripped his arm tighter and tighter. I bit my lip, trying hard not to moan out loud. He crushed his lips suddenly to mine, moving his tongue at the same speed as his fingers.

I heard myself whining into his mouth as the feeling started to build. I didn't know what I was waiting for but the tingling in my stomach was getting stronger, almost unbearable. He started using his thumb to rub my sweet spot again. I clenched my fingers into his hair, pulling so hard that I knew I must be hurting him, but he groaned in pleasure.

"Edward, please," I moaned, pulling away and hiding my face in his chest.

"Please what?" he said breathlessly, wrapping his free arm around me. "Tell me baby and I'll do it."

I shook my head frantically, whimpering into his chest. The feeling was too much, I didn't know how to control it. Deep in the pit of my stomach, it felt like I was falling to pieces. It was almost too good.

My entire body was vibrating madly, the tingling reaching every nerve of my body, until suddenly the feeling intensified. It was like something was burning inside of me, but it didn't hurt. My toes curled and my muscles clenched. I bit down on Edward's shirt and clung desperately to him as his fingers slowed and then slid out of me, trailing along my spot and lingering for a moment longer before pulling away.

My body melted into the mattress. Every limb felt like jelly, my stomach as light as air. I lay there, breathing heavily along with Edward, and then gave a shaky laugh.

"Did I do alright?" he said in a teasing voice, but I could hear the worry hidden behind it. He had his head buried in my hair.

I pushed him back and, just as I figured, his eyebrows were furrowed with worry. I stroked his cheek, smiling softly, and gave him a chaste kiss.

"Thank you," I said simply and he gave me a radiant smile.

We lay still for a long time, cuddling and occasionally kissing. Soon, though, the high of feeling so good lifted and I was freezing cold. Reluctantly, I pulled away.

"I should get ready for bed," I whispered and then bit my lip, realizing that though he touched my naked lower body, he hadn't actually seen it.

"Just be quick. I'm going to step out for a moment."

Edward gave me a quick kiss and then flipped the corner of the comforter over my lower body. He bounced off the bed, lifted himself easily onto the dresser and climbed out the window.

I stood carefully, my legs shaking beneath me. I hobbled over to the dresser and got out my pajamas and a clean pair of underwear. I pulled them on quickly, wishing I had something cuter than a plain t-shirt and black sweats to wear tonight, and hurried up the stairs as fast as my jiggling legs would carry me.

The house was still quiet but I was eager to get back downstairs so I scrubbed my face and brushed my teeth speedily and threw myself back down to my room.

Edward still hadn't come in yet. I leaned against the dresser, peering up and out the window. I could see his feet and it looked like he was leaning against the house. I was about to call out to him, to tell him I was finished getting ready, when I saw a cloud of smoke waft across the grass, followed by the distinct smell of cigarettes. I rolled my eyes, shoved my feet into my shoes and climbed stealthily out the window.

"Hi," I said brightly as I stood up next to him, making him start and almost drop his cigarette.

"Jesus, Bella," he laughed, attempting to hide his cigarette. "You scared the shit out of me."

"Trying to hide something?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

He frowned and sighed heavily, holding up his cigarette. He looked at me apologetically. I shook my head with a smile, plucking it out of his hands. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and was about to hang his head until I got his attention by taking a quick puff of his cigarette.

Edward stared at me with wide eyes as I held the smoke back out to him. He didn't take it, just gaped at me in surprise, opening his mouth and making an odd strangled sound. I raised my eyebrows at him.

"What?" I asked, starting to feel self-conscious when he couldn't manage anything coherent.

"You smoke?" he managed to choke out, still looking at me like I was a purple zebra singing opera that strayed across his path.

"Why is that so surprising?" I said with a laugh as he finally took back his cigarette.

"You're just so… so…"

"Innocent?" I supplied and he smiled ruefully. I waved my hand dismissively at him. "My dad used to smoke. I snuck a few of his cigarettes when I was a kid, just to try them, and then after he died, I started smoking a few every month when I got stressed out. Usually, on the anniversary of his death, I smoke a whole pack. Most of the time, it gets me sick to my stomach to smoke that much…"

I trailed off, casting my eyes down to my shuffling feet. A gentle finger lifted my chin and I found myself staring into the deepest green of his eyes. He gave me a crooked smile and I gave him a shy smile back.

"That's a bad habit you got there," he murmured.

"Not as bad as yours," I whispered back.

"Very true," he nodded.

"Maybe we should both quit?" I suggested.

"Can't do it without you, baby."

My heart fluttered and I grinned stupidly, loving the way his lips wrapped around the endearment.

Together, we climbed back into the basement and went to the bed hand in hand. Edward pulled back the blankets and climbed in first, fully dressed. I laughed and shook my head, getting in next to him. Keeping my eyes averted, I undid his jeans and pulled them off under the covers.

"You could've just said something," Edward chuckled. "I wasn't sure if it would be uncomfortable for you if I slept the way I usually do."

"I know," I admitted, running my hand up his leg, the hairs tickling my palm. "But then I couldn't do this."

Edward shivered as trailed my fingers over his bare knee and up his thigh. I was hindered by the hem of his boxers and paused before reaching up and palming his ass cheek. Edward let out a long breath. I took my eyes off of the lumpy blankets to see his face. His eyes were closed, his lips parted slightly.

"Oh, you could have done that anyways," he whispered.

"Good point." I lay down next to him, planting a kiss on his cheek before asking nervously, "Would you like something tonight?

"That's up to you," he said quietly, giving a small shudder as I tugged on the waistband of his boxers.

I bit my lip, considering. But I figured it was only fair. Like Edward said, relationships were about giving and receiving.

I reached over my head to the table by the bed, snatching up a handful of tissues. I stuffed them under Edward's arm. He cracked an eye open and chuckled.

I tried to suppress the memories of the last time I did something like this and reached under Edward's boxers with a shaking hand. He gasped as I rubbed my fingers into the trail of hair reaching down to his throbbing hardness.

With only a short pause, I wrapped my fingers around the bottom of his shaft, squeezing lightly and looking up at his face to see his reaction. He sucked in a deep breath, closed his eyes again and nodded for me to continue.

More confidently than before, I gripped tighter and pumped my fist once, slowly. Edward moaned in the back of his throat, stretching his legs out farther as I moved my hand again. I trailed my index finger along his length, lightly touching the tip.

"God, you're amazing," he groaned and I sped up, twisting my hand a little with each glide. "Can I… can I touch you?"

I awkwardly reached across Edward's torso and picked up his hand. Though I knew he liked it, I was glad he couldn't see my blush as I guided his hand under my t-shirt. He cupped my right breast softly, massaging with his fingers and I couldn't help but groan myself. Edward smiled, touching my nipple with the tip of his finger.

I started moving even faster, matching my panting with his. I could tell he was getting close when his legs tensed, his hand holding my breast tightening so much that it made me wince but I didn't tell him to stop.

Abruptly, he let go and fumbled for the tissues I had stashed for him. He shoved his hand down above mine just in time to catch himself. He tucked his chin to his chest, furrowing his brow and groaning deeply. I smiled, pumping my hand slowly to extricate every last drop. He shuddered and whimpered, gripping his hand tightly on the tip.

I slowly pulled my hand back and he dropped his head heavily onto the pillow, still breathing deeply.

"Was it good?" I whispered timidly.

"Holy shit," Edward mumbled, his hands moving under the blankets as he cleaned up. A tremble rippled through his body as he removed his hands.

He tossed the used tissues onto the floor and gathered me up into a tight hug, kissing me fiercely. I kissed him back, a little bewildered. After a moment, he sat back up, a huge grin on his face and his green eyes sparkling.

"So far, you're more perfect than I could have ever imagined," he said passionately.

I giggled and started kissing him again until our heads started to swim from exhaustion and lack of oxygen. We didn't stop but merely slowed down, relaxing into each other's embrace until we drifted off easily.

My only dreams that night were of Edward and the things I hoped we'd be able to do with each other the next night. And the next. And the next.

Because there was no way I'd be able to spend another night away from him.

* * *

**Whoo! Getting hot in here! *fans self* Thank you again for being such dedicated readers! I've been working on a new fic for you all but I don't plan to post it until I get a few chapters in so that updates can be more regular. But don't worry! I'll still finish my EMTward story here! Leave some lovin'…**


	9. Dear Readers

Dear Readers,

I wanted to apologize for my long absence and give you a bit of insight as to why I haven't been around.

It all started with my computer breaking down. Turns out I had a fan not working properly so it wouldn't turn on. Once I finally got that fixed, I found out I was way behind in one of my courses that I'm already having to repeat so I had to catch up. But the big one that kept me away from my writing was an emergency in the family.

My boyfriend's mother has an illness called Lupus, which normally doesn't give her a lot of trouble unless she catches a cold. For those of you that don't know, Lupus attacks your immune system, making it very weak so that a simple cold can turn into a terrible flu. Recently, both my boyfriend and his son caught a nasty cold and unfortunately, so did she. At first, it didn't seem so bad, she just seemed to have the flu—she was having trouble sleeping and eating and lacking energy. But then she started getting horrible stomach pains and so, to make a long story short, she was admitted to the ICU with her kidneys trying to shut down, her liver in shock and her breathing compromised. Sadly, the hospital here in town cannot handle such critical patients—I live in a tiny town—so she was transferred to a hospital an hour away but the transfer in itself was a very scary ordeal given all her complications. She's slowly getting better-the big thing was her kidneys but they're starting to work finally- but she's been there going on 3 weeks.

Last I checked this morning, she's doing alright and should be coming home soon (but who knows how well that will go at this point-she's still having trouble speaking) but between babysitting my boyfriend's five year old, sitting in a waiting room with his family and trying to keep up with his house as well as my own (mainly spending some much needed time with my dog who is very attached to me) I haven't had the time to get to writing. I want to assure everyone that I do intend to finish (I've had some big plans rolling around in my head, just waiting to be put down on paper…er, screen?) so I just hope you can stick with me.

Thank you all for your patience. I'll try to get back as soon as possible!

Lots of love,

Cherrybomb


	10. Chapter 9: Complicated

**First and foremost, I want to give a huge thank you to all of my loyal readers! I'm so happy you all stuck with me! Things are getting better but we're still a very long ways away from being normal again. But I realized in my Creative Writing class that I should have been trying to write all along! I almost forgot how freeing writing can be, how it is to get lost in a story, even if it's your own. Our assignment the other night in class was writing about a couple of pictures. She only asked for a paragraph but I wrote two pages… for each picture… and they were of my dog! **

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are owned by Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended with the posting of this story**.

* * *

Chapter 9: Complicated

**::Bella::**

For the next two weeks, Edward and I slept together in the same bed every night but it wasn't the same as the first night. Edward had to go back to work and though he did get paid time off, he usually liked to work a few double-shifts during the week which meant that he lost a few hours while he was gone. This meant he wasn't off work until late and was too tired to do anything but cuddle and talk about our day before passing out.

I was still terrified that Tess would catch him at the house, a worry that was intensified when she started wanting to spend more time together. We would never be close and though I did appreciate the effort she was putting into our outings to places like the mall and lunch, it didn't make up for the past few years of neglect.

I tried a few times to discuss with Edward my feelings on Tess's sudden change of heart but gave up quickly when I noticed that every time I brought up her name, his shoulders got tense and his lips pressed together into a hard line. I did my best to keep our conversations light and cheerful but it was difficult when all I did was work and wait at the house until he was done with his shift. I was slowly becoming depressed, despite finally finding someone I cared about as much as Edward that obviously felt the same way about me. I had no one to talk with besides him.

I was actually almost missing Bridgette—the old Bridgette that hadn't tried to steal my happiness away from me.

* * *

The past few Fridays had been really hard. Because of some nasty wind and rain combined with end-of-the-summer parties, there were more car accidents so Edward was working later than usual, leaving me to fall asleep on my own. I'd wake up in the middle of the night to find him holding me close, his face lined heavily with weariness even in sleep.

Finally, Edward had a short shift on a Friday and we were going to watch a movie together. Jake went out of town to visit his dad so we had his entire apartment to ourselves and planned to take advantage of that.

I spent most of my day cleaning and trying to keep myself busy. Tess was at work and her boys were both most likely out at one of the many parties going on so I took my time and even watched a bit of TV without interruption.

It was just after dark and I knew Edward was going to show up soon so I put away my cleaning supplies and got ready for him to come pick me up. I sat on the couch, twisting my hands impatiently in my lap, staring out the front window when I suddenly remembered I had left the cell phone in the bathroom. I leapt from the couch to retrieve it, positively bouncing down the hall.

I had just picked up the phone when I heard the front door bang open. I jumped about a foot, my hand flying to my throat, and I heard Tess's elder son, George, call out.

"Bella!" I didn't answer and he got louder, his words slurring together. "Bella, where the fuck are you?"

I tiptoed down the hall and peeked around the corner. George was standing in the kitchen doorway, swaying on the spot and staring around with unfocused eyes.

"Great," I groaned quietly to myself. "Drunk George."

I thought about trying to steal down to the basement to just sneak out my window when Edward got there but the second I took a step in that direction, my foot hit a squeaky floorboard and George's head instantly snapped in my direction.

"Where have you been?" he demanded belligerently.

"Excuse me?" I asked coldly, raising an eyebrow. I had never had any fear of George but drunken George I've always been wary of.

"I called you!" he shouted, stumbling towards me, pointing a finger at me.

"No you didn't," I stated, shaking my head slowly.

"Did too!" he slurred, pulling out his fancy touch screen cell phone. "I called your cell, like, a million times! You said you were coming to pick me up!"

"I don't have a cell, you idiot," I said with a laugh before remembering I was gripping Edward's cell at the moment. I surreptitiously tried to stow it in my back pocket but somehow through his drunken stupor, George noticed.

"Ha! There it is!" he snapped, his eyes rolling lazily in his head and his feet dragging across the hard wood floor. "You little bitch, thinking you can lie to me!"

"Well, even if I did answer, why the Hell would I come pick you up?" I asked, crossing my arms and becoming increasingly alarmed at how drunk and insistent he was.

"Because we own you here!" he growled. He was close enough now that I could smell the cheap beer oozing from every pore of his body. His blonde hair, damp from the rain outside, was falling into his vapid blue eyes. He swiped it away impatiently, leering down at me.

"Yeah, right," I snorted, taking a step back. I was surprised to find that my back actually hit the wall across from the bathroom door—George had progressively backed me into it with his steady advances.

"Don't talk to me like that!" he shouted, shoving me into the wall. I felt my shoulder crack against one of the hanging framed photos. It fell to the ground and shattered at my feet.

"You're drunk, George," I said slowly and with as much calm as I could muster. "I'm not talking to you when you're like this."

I attempted to shove past him but he grabbed my shoulder and brought me closer to him. He was gripping my arm so tightly that it made my eyes water.

"You'll talk to me whenever I fucking please!" he growled, his face inches from mine. "Now go make me something to eat!"

George threw me from him, sending me crashing into the dining room table. The chairs tumbled around me as I landed in a heap, completely breathless. George stomped over to me and kicked a chair out of the way, his foot making contact with my side in the process. I gasped in pain and cringed away from him but that made him angry.

With a grunt, he grabbed me by my shoulders again and picked me up from the floor. He brought me up to his eye level so that my feet were dangling a good six inches off the floor and shook me so hard that my teeth rattled.

"You will do as I say!" he spat at me.

Just as I was trying to figure out how to free myself, out of no where a fist came flying at George's face. He dropped me as the hand made contact and he fell to the floor. I landed hard and felt my ankle give out under me. Pain shot up my leg and I cried out in pain.

I crumpled on the floor, clutching my leg and panting so loudly that I could barely hear the scuffle going on across the room. Tears ran down my face, blurring my vision so I couldn't tell who was in the room until one of them crouched down next to me.

I flinched, worried that it was George. I blinked furiously to clear my eyes and an angel's face appeared in front of me.

"Bella, are you okay?" Edward asked urgently, his blue EMT hat obscuring his tangled copper hair and casting a shadow on his face but his sparkling green eyes shone through and I threw my arms around his neck.

I clutched him so tightly that I could hear him gasping for breath; he didn't push me away but wrapped his own arms around me, gently rubbing my back until I relaxed my hold on him.

"Tell me what happened?" he asked quietly. Now that I had calmed down, I could hear the rain poring outside and realized that his uniform was wet.

"G-George came home drunk, demanding to know why I didn't come get him," I said in a shaky voice, trying to wipe my face on the back of my sleeve without Edward noticing before I pulled away, needing to see his face.

"What did he do to you?" Edward asked, the merest trace of a growl in his voice as his eyes roamed my face, looking for any sign of injury.

"Pushed me into the wall," I shrugged, looking down at my lap but keeping my arms firmly around his neck. "And uh… threw me at the table. And kicked me."

Edward sucked in a sharp breath but kept his voice even.

"Anything else?" he asked.

"When he dropped me, I think I twisted my ankle."

At the mention of my ankle, the pain was suddenly there. I was too busy rejoicing in Edward rescuing me that I hadn't thought about it but I could feel it throbbing and realized that I had it twisted underneath me. I shifted so I was sitting on my backside and winced as I stretched out my left leg.

Edward automatically switched into EMT mode and started groping around in his pockets. When he pulled out an Ace bandage, I actually laughed.

"You carry around the strangest things in your pockets," I said, shaking my head.

"Well, you never know what you'll need," he said, giving me a crooked smile and reaching for my foot. He tenderly unlaced my sneaker and pulled it off. "Plus, the last call I went to was someone who fell on their bike and thought they had broken their leg."

"Did they?" I asked, cringing as he felt the tendons of my ankle.

"Naw, just a sprain," he said with a shake of his head. "Same with you."

I held my breath as Edward firmly wrapped the bandage around my ankle. It did feel a bit better with the support and with Edward's help, I was able to stand. I put my foot down gingerly, trying not to put any weight on it, and looked around at the mess.

The chair that George had kicked was across the room, a crack running down its leg, and the hallway was littered with broken glass and bits of wood from the picture frame.

"I should really clean up in here," I muttered with a grimace.

"No, you shouldn't," Edward snapped at me and I looked up at him in surprise; his brow with furrowed in anger. "George made this mess, not you. You have no obligation to clean up after him."

I nodded timidly.

"Where is he anyways?" I asked quietly, worried the question would anger him.

"Emmett hauled him off," Edward answered, jerking a thumb over his shoulder.

Seeming to sense my unease, Edward wrapped me up in a tight hug, crushing me to his body. It was almost like he was trying to fuse our bodies together into one.

"I'm sorry this happened," he murmured, kissing my temple. "Are you still up for tonight?"

"Yes," I answered firmly, giving him a small squeeze for emphasis.

"Alright then," he answered brightly. I gasped as he swept my legs out from under me and cradled me in his arms. He smiled at me and I rolled my eyes.

Edward carried me outside, pausing by the couch to kneel down so I could grab my purse, and hurried out to his EMT van. The rain was coming down in huge fat drops, soaking us in seconds. Edward buckled me in quickly and ran around to get in behind the driver's seat.

"So, where's our date tonight?" Emmett said from behind us and I jumped in surprise, letting out a small yelp.

"Dude, some warning next time?" Edward griped, clearly startled as well.

I turned halfway around in my seat to see Emmett sitting on one of the bench seats lining the driver's side of the back of the van. In front of him was an empty gurney with random medical supplies scattered across it. Emmett himself was soaked through, his curly brown hair sticking to his forehead and a giant grin plastered on his face. He had his arms open wide, resting on the top of the bench seat leisurely.

"Sorry," he shrugged with a chuckle.

"Did the cops carry away George?" Edward asked, looking at Emmett in his review mirror as he started the van.

"Yeah, Embry and Jared took him away," Emmett answered and then nodded at me. "You okay?"

"Sure, just a sprained ankle," I answered, slightly intimidated by this large man. His shirt sleeves were straining against his bulging biceps again and I wondered if any of his shirts actually fit him right—or if any in general could.

Edward drove Emmett back to the hospital so he could pick up his car—a monstrous, fire-red jeep whose tires looked as big as me—and then drove us both back to his apartment.

"Where's your car?" I asked in confusion when he turned off the van in front of his place.

"It's just getting a tune-up," Edward shrugged, tweaking my nose and climbing out. He opened my door for me and, just as he had carried me out to the van, he now carried me into his apartment.

Once inside, Edward set me on the couch. He put a pillow on the coffee table, propped my foot up on it and ordered that I not move an inch. I rolled my eyes; he smiled and went into the kitchen to make popcorn.

I leaned back against the cushions and looked around curiously. This was the first time I had gotten a chance to actually see the inside of Edward's apartment and it looked just like the typical boys' place. Everything was in various states of shabbiness, from the threadbare couch I was sitting on to the lazy-boy with stuffing leaking out of a button on the arm of it. I noticed that most everything was a different shade of brown, even the carpet, and I wondered if that was a conscious decision so that if something got dirty or stained that it would go unnoticed.

I craned my neck to look at the kitchen. Though the counters were clear of clutter, I could tell by the stains that they weren't normally so. As I was looking, Edward peeked at me over his shoulder and casually nudged a cupboard closed. It creaked open again, straining against the stacks of dirty dishes and crumpled papers. I stifled a giggle and looked away quickly.

My eyes fell on a black suitcase by the front door. I cocked my head to the side to read the tag hanging off the handle. I squinted my eyes, trying to focus on the letters, and frowned in confusion. The tag read J. Black.

"Edward?" I called hesitantly.

"Yeah?" he answered, his voice muffled.

"Two things… one, are you eating my popcorn already?"

I quirked an eyebrow at him as he turned to me; his cheeks were bulging and his hands were clutching a bowl of popcorn.

"No?" he mumbled; a kernel of popcorn fell out of his mouth and into the bowl. I snorted and shook my head.

"And the second thing is why is Jacob's bag sitting in the living room?" I pointed at the bag by the door, "I thought you said he went to visit his dad."

Edward's eyes widened and he swallowed noisily. He set the bowl down with a loud thump and rushed around the counter for a closer look.

"Shit, no," he mumbled, running both hands through his hair.

"Edward, what's wrong?" I whispered, sitting forward to get up.

Edward pointed a finger at me, silently ordering me to stay on the couch. With his free hand, he pulled out his cell phone and flipped it open. He swore under his breath, pressed a few buttons and held the phone to his ear. I could hear him listening to a voicemail but couldn't make out what the deep voice was saying. Edward swore again and snapped the phone shut.

"Edward, what is it?" I pled, terrified as to what was going on in his head.

"Jacob didn't go," he said in a strained voice, dialing on his phone again. "The only time he ever doesn't go visit his dad when he should is when something is wrong."

"Something like what?" I said, my voice quivering.

"A few years ago, Jacob's mom landed in the hospital when he was on his way to visit," Edward said quickly, swearing and dialing another number and holding the phone to his ear. "She didn't make it and Jacob blames himself for some reason.

"Every once in a while, Jacob's dad's heart starts acting up again and Jacob is too scared to go visit. He's paranoid that what happened with his mom will happen again."

"Wait, you mean he thinks he's bad luck or something?" I said slowly, furrowing my brow in confusion.

"Yeah," Edward said distractedly, making another call.

Just as he put the phone up to listen, the front door crashed open. We both jumped in surprise and turned to see Jacob standing in the dark doorway. He was soaking wet; it was obviously still poring outside.

"Jacob, dude, what happened?" Edward asked, stepping forward. He stopped as Jacob held out his hand.

"I don't fucking know," Jacob said in a low voice. He stepped into the light and I noticed that his eyes were unfocused as he took in his surroundings. "I can't go see my fucking dad, how would I know what the fuck is going on?"

Jacob's voice rose as he spoke so that by the end of his sentence, he was shouting. I gripped the edge of the couch, the urge to bolt battling with my fear of hurting myself more. My eyes darted between the two boys. Jacob was breathing heavily, glaring at Edward as though it was his fault he was unlucky. Edward looked confused and reached out a consoling hand.

"Jake, man, you've had too much to drink," he said in a soothing voice. "Why don't you just lie down and call your dad in the morning. I'm sure everything is f—"

"It sure as shit isn't fine!" Jacob lashed out, taking a step towards Edward.

My protective instincts suddenly kicked in. At the sight of Jacob being so close to Edward, I just snapped and leapt from the couch. I limped over as fast as I could, my head buzzing with adrenaline.

"Jacob, stop this," I demanded, my voice amazingly calm. "Edward's right, just go on to bed and—"

"What the fuck do you care?" Jacob snapped, rounding on me. I flinched away as, for the second time that night, I breathed in the smell of bitter alcohol. "Why should you give a flying shit?"

I stuttered incoherently, my sudden splurge of braveness melting away in the scorching look Jacob was now giving me. His black eyes bore into me, positively burning in their sockets.

"I'm done, I don't…I don't know… I just…" Jacob growled, trailing off as he gripped his short, black hair. He roared in frustration, shoved Edward aside and stomped down the hall. I heard his bedroom door slam and then all was silent.

"Come sit back down," Edward whispered, holding his arms out to me, but I stumbled back away from him.

"Why do you live with him?" I said shakily, keeping my eyes averted. I stared at a spot somewhere off to the left.

"What?" Edward said with a small, slightly forced chuckle.

"You heard me," I snapped, the boldness returning. I turned my gaze back to Edward's face and my bravado almost faded again at the fierce look he was giving me.

"Bella, you know why," he said through gritted teeth, speaking like every word was causing him great effort. "I can't afford—"

"Bullshit," I spat at him, my face flushing angrily. Edward's draw dropped.

"You're one to talk," he growled, clenching his teeth so tightly that his voice was barely audible.

"I have absolutely no choice!" I yelled, pointing to my chest and then back at him. "You do! You don't need to live with such an asshole! You can leave, you can have your own place, or…or…"

"Or what, Bella?" he said sardonically, throwing his hands up. When I didn't come up with a retort, he plunged on. "That's what I thought! You stand here, judging me, judging how I live… You live in a fucking basement, Bella! You're a fucking maid for a woman who lied to you, whose sons kick the crap out of you when they're drunk—"

"Hey!" I screamed, cutting him off. "That was the first time that he—I didn't know that—"

I stopped abruptly, staring around wildly but I couldn't think of what to fight back with. We were both staring daggers at each other, breathing as heavily as if we had run around the block a few times.

"Is this how you really feel?" I whispered, feeling on the verge of tears.

"Bella, I…" Edward closed his eyes, gripping his coppery hair with both hands just the way Jacob had. He turned away from me and slammed his hands onto the counter, making me jump.

I walked slowly over to the couch and grabbed my purse. The pain in my ankle was so bad that I could feel tears prickling the corners of my eyes. I turned back to Edward, feeling like I was in a daze as I watched him gripping the counter, breathing heavily.

I limped towards the still open front door. When I reached it, I turned around again. Edward was looking over at me, his green eyes sparkling with hurt. I took a deep breath, and made to leave.

"D-don't go," Edward whispered in a tortured voice. "Please, don't… I just got you back…"

I closed my eyes and spoke to him, forcing myself not to actually look at him. If I did, it'd break me and I wouldn't be able to do what I needed to do.

"I just need some time," I whispered, my voice a little shaky. "Please just… don't follow me."

I hesitated a second longer, willing myself to stay strong. I limped outside, where it was only drizzling now, and hobbled out to the sidewalk. I strained my ears for any sign of Edward following me and glanced over my shoulder, half hoping he was.

I was all alone.

I took a deep, shuddering breath and looked around. I didn't know exactly what to do now that I was out here. I had no way of getting home or anywhere, for that matter. I felt a trickle of fear run down my spine and I shivered, the feeling that someone was watching me overwhelming. But when I looked back at Edward's apartment, the curtains were drawn and I couldn't see him anywhere.

I started as I felt my phone vibrate in my sweatshirt pocket. I pulled it out warily, wondering if it was Edward. It surprised me to see that the called ID indicated that it was Alice. I flipped it open quickly, saying hello.

"Bella, is everything alright?" she asked in a slightly panicked voice. "Edward won't answer his phone and I know Jacob just came home."

"C-can you come pick me up?" I stuttered, hardly managing to sound calm. I could feel the tears spilling over already.

"Yeah, of course, but what's going on?" I could hear Alice grabbing her keys and muttering something to Jackie.

"I'll explain in a bit," I said sadly. "I'm, uh… just outside Edward's."

Alice was silent and I could hear her car starting up.

"I'll be right there," she said in a tense voice.

I limped down the street, feeling awkward just standing in front of Edward's apartment. I wiped at my cheeks but couldn't stop the tears from falling. I managed to get down to the corner, where there was a bus stop, and sat down on the bench under the overhang. It felt especially cold out, my adrenaline rush already long gone, making me feel shivery and empty.

Seeming to come out of nowhere, Alice was suddenly there in front of me, her brakes squealing on the wet asphalt. She was driving her blue Mustang and even before she came to a full stop, she was throwing open the passenger door. I stood up quickly and saw her leaning over the center console. I threw myself into the warm, dry interior and shut the door. Alice was speeding away already.

"What happened this time?" she demanded. Though she sounded calm, I could see the fire in her brown eyes.

"It wasn't really his fault," I said slowly, looking down at my hands. "Jacob came home, drunk and angry, and after he yelled at me, I called Edward out on being his roommate."

Alice groaned.

"I take it that didn't go over so well?" she asked, giving me a sympathetic smile.

"Not really, no," I shrugged, glancing up at her. "He pointed out that I'm not one to talk about living situations."

"He did _what_?" Alice practically screamed. I looked up in alarm.

"No, he's right!" I said quickly, shaking my head.

"He had no right whatsoever to compare the two of you," Alice fumed, her bright pink fingernails digging into the fuzzy cover of her steering wheel. "He _chose_ to live with that ass, while you had no choice!"

I laughed lightly, shaking my head again.

"Alice, there's no reason why I should still be living there," I said with a small smile. "I'm old enough for my own place; I have been for years. I was just too afraid to try. But that's going to change now."

Alice turned to me, raising an eyebrow and smirking.

"And what do you plan to do about it, Miss Swan?"

"First," I said, taking a deep breath for bravery. "I'm going to ask you to help me move out of my aunt's house."

"Yes, of course!" Alice said right away, coming to a stoplight and clapping her hands together excitedly.

"It won't be that easy, Alice," I warned her, holding up my hands to try to stop her excitement. "Ever since… the incident—"

I paused, hoping Alice understood I was talking about the night Edward and I met. She nodded impatiently so I continued.

"Ever since then, I've been a bit more assertive with her. She's kind of softened up a bit because of that but I think she's really just trying to keep a hold of her maid."

Alice frowned at me, but I just shrugged.

"Hey, it's true," I admitted.

"So, what would you like me to help with?" Alice asked; the light turned green and Alice pressed down on the gas, driving slower than before.

"If you're willing, I'd like you to be there with me when I tell her I'm leaving," I said, biting my lip nervously. I was afraid I was asking too much of someone I barely knew but I felt as though we had been friends forever.

"Of course!" Alice said again, beaming at me. I grinned back, feeling relieved. "But first, we're going back to my house for some tea and dry clothes."

I nodded eagerly and leaned my head back against the dark, leather seats.

When we reached Alice's house, Jackie was waiting on the front porch, clutching a mug in her hands. When Alice parked the car, Jackie jumped up and rushed to open my door. She thrust the mug into my right hand and slipped her hands around my left. She pulled me into the house, chatting non-stop like usual. Though she asked me numerous times what had happened, she didn't leave me an opening to say anything. Once we got inside and all sat down on the couch, Alice intervened.

"Breathe, little sister!" she laughed.

"It was nothing," I said before Jackie could start up again. She turned to me, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"You've been crying again, and because of him," she stated bluntly. "How is that nothing?"

I explained the fight in detail and thankfully, neither girls interrupted. When I had finished, I took a large sip of my tea. It was delicious, just the right amount of milk and honey added.

"So, your solution to him being an idiot is to leave and move out?" Jackie asked, raising her eyebrows at me.

"Yeah, I guess it does sound a bit like that," I said with a nervous laugh. "I just need to get my life together in order to be with him. Things would be so much easier if I didn't have to sneak around with him."

"Love is never easy, my dear," Alice said, tucking a lock of my hair behind my ear. "But yes, it would make things a little less complicated."

I smiled shyly, taking another sip of tea. I never really thought that what Edward and I had was love. Sure, I could never get him out of my head and wanted to spend every moment I had with him but was that really love? I'd never felt it to know…

"Well, where are you moving you out to?" Jackie asked. She gasped and then continued breathlessly, "Are you moving in with us?"

"Don't be crazy, Jackie," Alice laughed, ruffling up her sister's hair; Jackie ducked out of the way, frowning and smoothing down her wavy brown hair. "Emmett would kill us if we brought another female into the house."

I laughed at Jackie's pout, finishing my tea.

"Actually, my dad offered me an apartment in his complex," I told them. They exchanged confused looks so I elaborated. "I only found out a few weeks ago that my dad was in fact the truck driver…"

I launched into the story about how Charlie came to talk with me. Alice and Jackie listened intently and neither of them knew quite what to say when I had finished.

"Well," Alice said slowly once she found her voice. "I guess first things are first. When would you like to pick up your things?"

I grimaced, knowing it wasn't going to be simple. I couldn't just walk in, box up my stuff and leave. Tess would want an explanation but I knew no matter what I said, she wouldn't give me up without a fight. She was too used to being taken care of. I needed a plan and I needed to be assertive about what I wanted.

"I'm not sure," I told them, biting my lip. "I need to figure out what I'm going to tell my aunt. She's not going to want me to leave."

The three of us sat, thinking hard. Finally, Jackie perked up.

"I got it!" she said happily.

"Great!" Alice and I said together. "What's the plan?"

"It'll be easier than you think," she said with a smirk. "But first, more tea!"

* * *

**So, I know things don't look great right now but I promise you, things will get better! Bella has a bit of growing up to do… And honestly, so does Edward. Thanks again for being patient with me! You guys rock!**


	11. Chapter 10: Patience and Bravery

**You guys will never believe what happened… So, my mother-in-law recovered well enough to go home but then—get this—two days before she's to be released, her husband had a stroke! I know, right? When will this family get a break? It's been about two weeks now and he's doing alright, considering, and hopefully will get to come home within the next month or so. *sighs* SO! Needless to say, its been a crazy busy past couple of weeks, what with one parent coming home from the hospital and the other going in... On a happier note (sorta…its complicated) my boyfriend's brother came home from the military which means no more boring babysitting for me! *does a happy dance* The boyfriend was off last week so I didn't get a chance to write, but hopefully things will be going back to more or less normal and I'll get a chance to write to my heart's content! :) **

**Disclaimer: Twilight and its characters are owned by Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended with the posting of this story**.

* * *

Chapter 10: Patience and Bravery

**::Bella::**

"Just do it, Bella, it won't be so bad."

"He said if you ever needed anything to feel free to ask."

"Yeah, he wants you to call, I can just feel it!"

"Think about it: Your own place! You could even get a pet!"

"Like a cat! Or a dog!"

"Or a fish!"

"A fish, Jackie? Seriously?"

"What? Fish are cool!"

It's been a week since my fight with Edward and I'm sitting in Alice and Jackie's bright living room, clutching Charlie's business card in my hand. My knee is bouncing so violently out of nerves that the whole couch is shaking with the vibration. I was finally breaking down and calling Charlie to ask about that room he offered me but I had been so afraid of how to go about asking that I had tried to dial his number half a dozen times only to hang up before pressing the final number. In the end, I hurried over to see Alice and Jackie, desperate for their advice.

"What are you so scared about?" Alice asked, ending her argument with Jackie over fish as pets.

"What if he's changed his mind?" I complained for the fifth time.

"He hasn't, I'm sure of it," Alice said confidently, holding out her bright pink cordless phone to me again. When I didn't take it, she pressed it into my trembling fingers. "Just do it just like we talked about, okay?"

I slowly dialed Charlie's number, looking up at the girls after ever beep. They both smiled at me reassuringly, Jackie bobbing her head encouragingly. When I had finished, I pressed the phone to my cheek, my heart beating so loudly that it felt like it was going to pump right out of my chest.

The phone rang once…twice… I started to consider just hanging up but, as though sensing my skittishness, Alice placed her hand over mine, holding the phone in place.

Then, in the middle of the third ring, Charlie picked up.

"Hello, this is Charlie Swan," he said in his deep voice.

I shot a panicked look at Alice, trying to tug my hand out from under hers, but she only held it tighter.

"Hello?" Charlie said, confused.

"H-hi, Charlie?" I stuttered in barely more than a whisper. "It's…It's Bella."

There was a slight pause, making me think that maybe he didn't remember me, or that I had just imagined the whole conversation we had had. But then I felt the stiff cardboard between my fingers and clutched them tighter, feeling the concrete detail that yes, it had happened.

"Oh! Bella, hi!" Charlie said nervously and I could practically hear him running his hand over his face uneasily. "How's it, uh… How's it going?"

"Not bad," I said timidly, taking a deep breath. "I know-I know its, uh… Its been a while, but I was just…j-just wondering, if-if…"

I trailed off, biting my lip worriedly. Alice gave her hand holding mine a little shake, urging me to continue.

"Wondering what?" Charlie asked slowly, apprehensively.

"I-I-I was wondering," I stuttered, taking another shaky breath. "If your offer is still open."

"My offer?" Charlie questioned.

My eyes shot up to Alice's, no idea what to do next. Had he really forgotten?

_Go on, _Alice mouthed, smiling and nodding. Over her shoulder, Jackie crossed her eyes and stuck out her tongue. I gave a small, breathless laugh.

"Your offer to lend me an apartment," I finally said, as firmly as I could.

I held my breath, waiting for his answer. I counted to ten in my head before Charlie answered, sounding as startled as if a light had suddenly flicked on in his head.

"Oh! Oh, the apartment! Yes, of course! Yes, it's all yours! When would you like to come see it?"

I let out a long breath, smiling hugely. Alice let go of my hand and clapped her own together, bouncing up and down. Jackie copied her, making quiet squealing noises.

"Whenever you're free," I said in a slightly high-pitched voice, feeling a little light-headed.

"I'm free now, do you need a ride?"

"No, no, just give me the address and I'll be right there."

Alice jumped up and scrambled to the kitchen, returning with a bright pink Post-It note and a purple pen. I raised my eyebrow at her, curious if there wasn't anything in the house that wasn't a bright, girly color. Alice shrugged and I shook my head, baffled as to how Emmett lived in such an Easter egg colored house.

I scribbled down the address Charlie gave me and agreed to meet him in ten minutes. When I hung up, Jackie and Alice both starting jumping up and down, squealing shrilly. I covered my ears, laughing. Once they calmed down, Alice hauled me off the couch and shoved me out the front door. Jackie bounced after us, chattering non-stop at such a high speed that I couldn't make out much more than the gist of it. It sounded like she was coming up with decoration ideas.

Alice snatched the slip of paper with the address out of my hand and steered me towards the shiny Mustang parked in the driveway. Jackie climbed into the backseat and I plopped down in the front.

The scenery passed by in a blur, making me feel as if I was in a dream. I leaned my head back against the plush leather seats and heaved a deep, satisfied sigh.

But then we passed by Edward's apartment and the smile slipped off my face. My heart, which had been beating excitedly, plummeted to rest somewhere around my bellybutton, making me feel like a large rock was dragging me down.

I shifted in my seat so that I could turn my face to the window, hoping to hide the fact that a few tears had slid down my cheek. Though my ankle had healed completely, my heard was still aching for one person in particular.

It wasn't that I wasn't happy to share this moment with my two newest friends but I had hoped to share it with someone else. Despite what Edward thought, I had given a lot of consideration into moving out of Tess's house. I had been too scared to admit it that day we had fought but I had hoped that Edward would ask me to move in with him, that he would realize that living with someone like Jacob was pulling us apart and that he would do better without him.

I had also been too afraid to move out on my own but I knew that was stupid. I practically lived alone as it was; it just so happened that I cleaned up after three others. I was the housekeeper that could have lived in the garden shed out back for all it mattered to Tess and the boys. I wasn't a member of the family, I wasn't a roommate—Hell, I wasn't even a welcome guest. I was hired-help with the benefit of not having to shell out any money.

"Bella?"

Alice's voice cut through my musing and I quickly wiped my face and turned to her, attempting to smile happily. Judging by the frowns on both her and Jackie's faces, I hadn't hidden my sadness at all.

"You don't _have _to do this, Bella," she said softly.

"Yes I do," I whispered, brushing at my face again, trying to erase the tears that had escaped.

"You could come live with us," Jackie said hopefully, giving me a small smile.

"No," I shook my head fiercely, closing my eyes and breathing deeply. "No, I need to do this. It's the only way."

I opened my eyes as Alice stopped the car. She turned off the engine and turned in her seat. She picked up both my hands with her tiny ones, squeezing tightly.

"Anything you need, ever, no matter the time," she said firmly. "Do not—I repeat! Do not—hesitate to ask. You got that?"

Alice narrowed her heavily lined eyes at me; it was strange to see this little pixie looking so frightening. I nodded my head quickly and she snapped a smile back into place.

"Good!" she said brightly. "We're here!"

We all climbed out of the car, looking around curiously. We were in the nicer part of the low-income part of town, standing in front of a tall, tan building that was shaped like a U. I counted four floors and though I know it wasn't much, I was still momentarily stunned by how large of a complex was actually in our tiny town, but then I realized we were on the edge of town where most of the older and partially forgotten buildings were.

The small patches of grass outside of the complex were neatly trimmed and there was a small lemon tree in front of the door marked _Office_. Set in the U shape of the building was a flight of stairs that twisted and turned to reach every level, breaking off into platforms outside each hallway leading to the individual apartments.

Alice clasped her hand with mine and Jackie linked her arm with my free one and the two of them marched me, big smiles on their faces, to the Office.

When we reached the door, the girls stood back a step from me and Jackie let go of my arm. I raised it, noticing that it barely trembled, and knocked on the door three times.

The door opened almost immediately and there stood Charlie, looking almost exactly as the last time I had seen him. He was in a blue flannel shirt, his suspenders off his shoulders and dangling down the sides of his paint-flecked jeans. He grinned when he saw me and gestured the three of us into his tiny office.

Alice and I perched ourselves on the two chairs in front of Charlie's cluttered desk and Jackie stood behind Alice, her hands resting on the back of the chair. Charlie settled himself behind his desk again but jumped up almost at once, offering us coffee. Alice and I accepted and Charlie quickly poured some into two Styrofoam cups from an old, white coffee maker covered in bent and crinkled sticky notes.

After adding our requested amounts of sugar packets and tiny creamers, Charlie handed Alice and I our cups and sat back down. He folded his hands on the desk.

"So, uh… Oh!" Charlie began rifling through his piles of paper, dropping a few on the floor and knocking over a jar of paperclips. He kept digging until he found what he wanted. He grabbed a pen and started marking and signing things. "So, this is just a formality. It's an agreement to pay rent and utilities on time, to kept he place in shape, you know, notify me of any repairs needed. It also says that you won't have more than a dozen people over at a time—you know, like for parties and whatnot…"

Charlie placed the paper in front of me and smiled. I took the pen hesitantly, looking at Alice in confusion.

"What did you mean a formality?" I asked quietly.

"Well, I don't expect you to pay rent," Charlie said with a frown.

"You…you didn't?" I choked out, completely taken aback.

"Of course not!" Charlie said with a chuckle. "You're m-my daughter! I didn't expect… Didn't think that… Is that…. Okay?"

Charlie rubbed his neck nervously, looking at Alice and Jackie helplessly, as though silently asking for help. They looked just as baffled as I did.

"That'd be just… amazing, Charlie," I said breathlessly, looking incredulously from Alice to Jackie; they both smiled at me in a kind of bemused way. I signed the paper and handed it back to Charlie.

"Oh… good!" Charlie said, a hint of uncertainty in his voice. He rubbed his neck nervously again. "Well, that's about it. Would you like to come see the place?"

"Yes, please!" I said; Alice and I stood up quickly. Charlie looked up at us, looking a little baffled himself, but he recovered quickly and stood too.

Charlie leaned over an over-flowing file cabinet, plucked a key off a hook on a corkboard full of keys—the only organized space in the entire office—and led us out of the room.

We walked up to the top floor, turned right and went to the very end of the hall, stopping in front of a door with a brass number 40 hanging on it.

After unlocking the door, Charlie waved us in.

Alice and Jackie followed me into a fairly spacious living room. There was a dark brown couch and chair set in the center of the room, facing a small table against the wall that obviously was supposed to hold a TV. There was a bookshelf to the right of the front door and when I took a few steps farther in, I could see a small kitchen hidden behind a partial wall.

"The bathroom is just down the hall," Charlie said, gesturing just past the kitchen. "And so is the bedroom. There's a bed in there with a brand new mattress, but you'll need sheets. Oh, and I dresser! It isn't very big but there's a decent sized closet in there as well…"  
I set my empty coffee cup down on the bookshelf and walked towards the living room. The carpet felt springy under my sneakers and was an odd beige color but it didn't bother me; it matched the furniture perfectly. The walls were off-white and boring; behind me I could hear Alice and Jackie discussing decorating with different pictures and paintings.

I kept walking to where there was a window on the opposite side of the room. There was an iron curtain rod but no curtains and the sill looked just big enough for me to sit on. I perched myself on the edge of it and looked out.

My apartment was set just high enough that I could see over the tops of the trees and houses. I strained my eyes and noticed that I could just barely see to Edward's place. My heart gave a strange leap and suddenly I knew that this was just the right place for me.

"…color, we need to discuss color!" I could hear Alice saying. "Bella, what do you think? Bella?"

I heard footsteps cross the room and then felt Jackie's hand on my shoulder but I didn't turn.

"Bella, are you alright?" Jackie asked quietly. When I nodded she asked, "Do you like the apartment?"

"Its perfect," I whispered as one lone tear streaked down my cheek.

My eyes didn't leave the window as I watched a white EMT van pull away from the curb in front of Edward's apartment.

* * *

**::Edward::**

I leaned my head against the back of the seat, feeling utterly exhausted. Just like the last time Bella and I were apart, I was having a hard time sleeping. The dreams had at least calmed down but they were still fucking depressing. In every single one of them, I watched helplessly as Bella simply walked away from me. It broke my heart every time.

I really wanted someone to talk about it with but I knew Emmett would just laugh his ass off and say I just needed to get laid or something; Jasper would just tell me ways to forget about her in overly-helpful kind of way; and Alice…

Come to think of it, where the Hell was Alice? Two weeks after Bella had left and I had barely seen her at all. When I did, it was at Jasper's bar and she was always too busy to do more than make me a drink.

Emmett climbed into the van finally. I swear he takes longer than a fucking girl to get ready for work.

"What's up, Ed?" he asked nonchalantly, buckling his seat belt.

"Where the Hell has Alice been?" I asked bluntly, not even bothering to remind him that I fucking hated when he called me Ed.

"Fuck if I know," Emmett shrugged.

I frowned and started the van. The rain was light today, meaning there shouldn't be much going on, but it didn't matter how busy I was, I still couldn't get her out of my head.

I thought about calling Bella at least ten times a day. She still had my cell phone but I wasn't about to ask for it back, even if she didn't use it to call me. I was waiting on her, hoping like Hell that she'd at least let me know if she was done with me for good. It would be so much easier than leaving me hanging.

At that thought, I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. What if she _did_ drop my sorry ass? What if she did finally come to her senses and give up on me? What if she had already moved on to some other asshole that I didn't stand a chance against?

"Edward, dude, red light!" Emmett yelled.

"Shit!" I slammed on the brakes, skidding to a stop halfway through the cross walk at the stoplight. I ran my hands roughly through my hair, pulling on the strands.

"Dude… are you okay?" Emmett asked, sounding more concerned than I had ever heard him. I must really be freaking him out.

"I don't know," I groaned, gripping my hair so tight my scalp tingled with pain.

"Why don't you just fucking call her or something?" Emmett suggested. "Doesn't she still have your phone?"

"She told me not to follow," I mumbled, leaning forward so that my forehead rested against the steering wheel.

"Didn't that just mean when she left the apartment?" Emmett asked in a patronizing tone.

I snorted and lifted my head just in time to see the light turn green.

"You're lucky you're considered good-looking," I said, shaking my head.

We went about our rounds, like usual, and nothing happened except Emmett insisting us getting ice cream like we were fucking five year olds again. Finally, nine-o'clock rolled around and we were done and Em did the smartest thing all day and suggested we go out for a drink.

I knew it was a stupid move to drink without having eaten something but I just wasn't hungry all day. I figured I'd eat some peanuts from the bar or something.

It was the middle of the week so only a few regulars were hanging around. Em and I slid onto some stools at the bar and Alice sauntered over in a black ballerina skirt and lacy top, her hair in neat little curls. She leaned over the bar and looked at my face intently.

"When was the last time you slept?" she asked over the clinking of glasses and laughter of the other patrons.

I shrugged and she frowned, pulling out a bowl of peanuts from under the bar and setting it down in front of me. She raised an eyebrow, silently asking what I wanted.

"Just a beer tonight," I told her, popping a few peanuts in my mouth.

"Same here, sis," Emmett said, grabbing a handful of peanuts that pretty much emptied the bowl. I scowled at him but he just gave me a toothy grin as he chewed.

I drank my beer slowly, not really wanting to get drunk but hoping to at least fucking unwind a bit. I'd felt like shit the past couple of weeks, barely sleeping, hardly eating and spending a lot of time just feeling sorry for myself. Emmett suggested going on a few pity dates, just getting a few kicks out of my system, but it wasn't what I wanted. I only wanted one person and fuck if I knew if she wanted me anymore.

I sighed heavily and set my drink down too hard. It made a noisy _clunk_ sound and spilled a bit onto the bar. Alice heard the noise and came over with a rag.

"What is going on with you?" she complained, mopping up the spill.

"Sorry, Alice," I mumbled, rubbing my face wearily.

"I know, I know," she said softly. "You miss her."

"Is it that obvious?" I groaned, pressing my fingertips onto my closed lids.

"Only to someone that knows you well," she said, and I opened my eyes to see her leaning over the bar again. "Everyone else would just see asshole Edward in a worse mood than usual."

I gave a dry laugh, draining the last of my beer. I looked around for Emmett and saw that he was hanging all over that blonde, Rosalie, over at the pool table. He was bending her over the table, showing her how to properly aim the stick. I rolled my eyes as I saw her stick her ass out a little further.

Suddenly, I heard rushing footsteps coming down the stairs behind the bar. Jackie appeared, her face lit up in a huge grin. I was about to make some stupid joke about minors in the bar but she didn't even notice me and started gabbing to Alice.

"Alice, guess what, guess what!" she cried, hopping on the spot.

"You finally finished your history paper?" Alice said sternly, crossing her arms across her chest and quirking an eyebrow.

"Well, not quite," Jackie said with only a hint of bashfulness before she was babbling away again. "No! It's not that! She finally called and everything is all ready! She just moved the last of her stuff into her car so she just has to take it over! But she said she'll need a table, the one we found at the thrift store is too big for her apartment, but that she doesn't need it right away. Oh and I forgot to tell you! Bella found the perfect arm chair to sit by her new window and—"

"Wait, Bella is moving?" I interrupted, standing up so fast that I knocked my stool over. Both my shout and my chair falling scared Jackie so bad that she jumped back in shock, her hands flying to her chest.

"Crap, Edward, you scared me!" she said breathlessly.

"What's going on?" I demanded.

Jackie and Alice exchanged looks and then looked back at me. Both of them looked scared and unsure. I folded my arms across my chest and lifted an eyebrow, waiting for the answer.

"Tell me, Alice," I growled. "You've been keeping something from me and you damn well better tell me and tell me now!"

I stood there, huffing angrily. Alice had never lied to me; in all the years we had been friends, she had never once withheld anything from me. Hell, she even told me things that I didn't want to hear.

"Well… Bella decided to…move out," Jackie said in a small voice, looking at Alice again; she sighed and nodded.

"And why didn't anyone tell _me_?" I half shouted, positively fuming. "I was the _first_ one to tell her to move away from that bitch!"

"She wanted to tell you herself," Alice said loudly.

"Wait, what?" I said, completely taken aback, my anger suddenly disappearing. "She wanted to… she still wants… to talk to me?"

"Of course she does," Alice said in a patient voice, giving a small smile.

I stepped over to another stool, ignoring the one I knocked over, and buried my head in my hands.

"This is ridiculous, just fucking ridiculous," I complained into my hands. "I don't know what to fucking do, Alice. Shit…How could one girl do this to me?"

"It means you really care, Edward. It means you're not as screwed up as you like to think."

"What am I supposed to do, Alice?" I groaned. "This waiting is driving me fucking crazy!"

"You have to be patient with her," Alice said soothingly. "She's making a big change right now and it's scary for her."

"Why can't I help her?" I whined, lifting my head. "I could be doing all this moving shit for her! She wouldn't even have to lift a fucking finger!"

"Oh, Edward," Jackie sighed, lifting the opening in the bar and slipping through. She climbed onto my lap and threw her arms around my neck. "She's doing this _for you_."

When I sat there looking at her blankly, she sighed again.

"Edward, were you guys really working out before?" After a short pause, I shook my head and she continued. "Didn't you _both_ agree that things would be better, would be easier, if at least one of you didn't live where you did?"

"Well, both of us needed to get out, but neither of us really had any fucking choice in the matter but—"

"But she did," Jackie said in an impatient voice. "She did but she was too afraid to act on it. Think about it, Edward… When did she move in with Tess?"

"When her parents died," I said quietly.

"Exactly. If given her choice, she would give up just about anything to be back with them. But she can't so she had to take the only home she was given. But then, Charlie showed up and things were so confusing—she was just meeting you and trying to sort out her feelings, she was trying to get over the incident at the convenience store—that she didn't know what to make of his offer."

And suddenly it dawned on me.

That fight we had changed everything. She knew she wouldn't be able to change my stubborn ass and get me to move out so she decided to. She decided to make the smart move. But if I were around, it wouldn't have changed her life the way she needed it to. I would have made all the decisions, I would have done all the work, and she wouldn't have been able to grow.

I looked at Jackie and she was smiling hugely. I turned to Alice and she was looking a bit smug.

"Caught on, have you?" she said with a smirk. "Took you long enough."

"Well, now what?" I asked eagerly, feeling my heart swell. She wanted me back after all, she just needed to get her life together, and so did I. "What do I do?"

"Nothing yet, doofus," Jackie laughed, tugging on my hair. "Just be ready for her when she's ready for you."

My heart was beating wildly and I couldn't wipe the idiot grin off my face. I just couldn't believe it—all this worry over nothing. My heart fucking broke the day she walked out of my place and felt like it'd never be able to be put back together again. But I had been wrong…

"Jackie, I am taking you out for the biggest fucking sundae you've ever had," I said, leaning forward and kissing her on the cheek. "I mean it! All the toppings and shit you want on it, it's yours!"  
"What did I do?" she asked in a bemused voice, giggling.

"You saved me, Jackie," I said quietly. "You told me what was going on. I was going fucking nuts!"

We both laughed and Jackie looked at Alice out of the corner of her eye. I looked too and saw Alice looking damn near close to tears. I felt like a fucking jackass; she never meant to hurt me by not telling me, she was doing as Bella asked. And I'd do anything for that girl.

"Alice, I'm sorry," I said, beckoning her to come onto the other side of the bar. "I was a jackass, I shouldn't have shouted—"

"You were just being you," she said, lifting up the hinged part of the bar and standing next to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulder.

"Doesn't matter," I said with a shake of my head. "Fucking ice cream for you too."

* * *

**::Bella::**

I paced across the living room, waiting for Alice and Jackie to show up. I had no idea what was taking them so long; I had called Jackie over an hour ago. I had asked them to show up around ten and it was passed that.

Jackie's plan had been too simple. We were just going to move all my stuff out of my room, piece by piece, when Tess wasn't around, setting up the apartment as we went. And then, when everything was moved, we were going to just tell Tess I was leaving.

I knew it was going to be harder than it sounded but there was no other way. But this way, Tess couldn't stop me. Everything was already gone, she couldn't change that. So now, the hardest part was saying… goodbye.

I had no idea what her reaction would be. I assumed she'd be angry, maybe a little hurt—she had been making an honest effort with me, or at least seemed to be—but this was for the best. I needed to get away from her.

I heard the bathroom door open and out came Tess, a towel wrapped around her head and already dressed in her silk pajamas. She stopped and stared at me, her brows knitted in confusion.

"What are you doing?" she asked suspiciously.

"Um, I uh… I j-just…" I stuttered, lost as to what to say.

Luckily, I was literally saved by the bell—the doorbell, to be exact. Tess looked at the door in confusion and moved around me to answer it. I knew who it was and it didn't bother me; this was part of the plan.

Tess opened the door to see Alice and Jackie standing there. Alice had clearly just finished with work—she was still wearing a cute little black ballerina skirt with a thick jacket thrown on. Jackie had her hair pulled back into a messy ponytail and was smiling broadly.

"Hello, we're here to pick up Bella," she said in a loud clear voice.

"Excuse me?" Tess said crossly, putting her hands on her hips.

"You heard her," Alice said sweetly. "We're here to get Bella. She's moving out tonight."

Tess gave a hollow laugh, looking back at me and then back to the girls.

"You're kidding me, right?" she said.

"No, we're not," Alice said, slowly and clearly. "Just check the basement. Everything that belongs to Bella is gone."

Alice and Jackie smiled as Tess sputtered incoherently for a few moments. She turned to me angrily and I squared my shoulders, preparing myself to take action.

"Care to explain yourself?" she demanded.

"Nope," I said simply, lifting my chin slightly. "I'm old enough to move out, and so I am. My _father _offered me a place… and I'm taking it."

With that, I grabbed my purse and strode out the door without looking back. Alice and Jackie trailed behind me, Jackie snickering quietly.

"You can't do this!" Tess suddenly shouted when I reached my car.

I turned around and saw her standing on the porch, shaking with anger. Her nostrils were flared and her face was beat red. I smiled vindictively—anger I could work with easily.

"Sorry, your free maid is off duty," I said triumphantly, unlocking my car and stepping in. Jackie was waiting in the passenger seat.

I looked in my review mirror as I drove away. Tess was still standing on the porch with her mouth hanging open.

"I hope she can recover," Jackie snickered, turning around in her seat to look back at Tess. "You gave her quite a shock."

"Oh darn," I said sarcastically. "Whatever will she do without me?"

Jackie laughed loudly and starting talking at top speed, as usual, telling me about all the different decorations she and Alice had put up for me. I was barely listening, merely nodding every once in a while to make it seem like I was. I was thinking about when—and how—I would tell Edward…

After a few minutes, we pulled up to Charlie's complex. I parked on the street and looked up at the building. Most of the lights were off but I could see, at the very end, my window and it was lit with a short lamp set on a side table I had placed there.

"Welcome home," Jackie said happily.

* * *

**I'm so very sorry if I gave anyone whiplash with my changing of POVs! It wasn't intentional. But I do hope it worked out okay. Leave me some lovin' and I'll try to get the next chapter up soon! Like I said, I finally have some free time to myself coming up! **

**Oh and a special shout-out to my SoulMate Ecee! How'd you like THAT Edward interaction? ;)**


	12. Chapter 11: Its About Time

**Class finals, people going into the hospital, visiting said people in the hospital, preparing the home for when that same person comes home, stupid family fights, becoming stage manager of the local community's summer theatre production, going camping, watching the boyfriend try to get his truck together... Many things have kept me from my author duties. I actually started this chapter at the beginning of June but then I got distracted. My first true love in the literary world is Harry Potter and as some of you may know, the final movie comes out July 15th and I'm freaking out! I've been with the series for ten years now, I'm a freaking encyclopedia for both the books and movies and I can't believe its all finally coming to an end! So, I've been in a kind of good/sad mood about The End and haven't been able to do much more than re-read the books and re-watch the movies and search for stuff online for weeks lol. I tried my best to make this chapter good and though it feels short to me, it ends on a steamy note and the story picks up! I hope you enjoy it! **

* * *

**Chapter 11: Its About Time**

**::Bella::**

I could feel myself giving in. It'd been ten days since I'd moved into my own apartment—I was still trying to wrap my head around that—and he still hadn't called or messaged. I know that Alice said that it was all up to me, that I had to make the next move, but a part of me was hoping he'd come after me instead.

I was working full time to try to keep my mind off things and received a shock when I found out that Todd was still working there too. I hadn't seen or heard from him in weeks and had no idea that he was around at all. I was nervous about our first shift together but tried to play it cool…which, of course, is easier said than done.

"Hey, Todd," I tried to say confidently as I went behind the counter where Todd was counting out the till.

"Hey," he grunted, without looking up.

I didn't know what else to say so I leaned awkwardly against the back counter. I saw him cross out something on the pad of paper he was writing on, curse under his breath, and start counting again.

"Would you like me to do that?" I asked timidly.

Todd sighed loudly and ignored me. Not even thirty seconds later, he crossed out his writing again and turned to me.

"Yeah, sure," he said reluctantly, keeping his eyes averted.

I slid past him shyly, taking his seat at the counter. I counted out the money and calculated it into the month's revenue, noticing that all the other entries were written in an unfamiliar, girly scrawl. I could tell it wasn't Julie's, it was much too neat, and it obviously wasn't mine. I glanced over my shoulder at Todd, who had taken my place against the back counter.

"Has someone been helping you with the book?" I asked quietly, my voice a bit higher out of nerves.

"Yeah, uh… This new girl I've been dating," Todd said uncomfortably. "Didn't work out with Sarah but she introduced me to her cousin…"

"That's cool," I answered. I put away the book and walked slowly around the counter, my intention being refilling the sugar packets at the mixing area; Todd's voice made me turn.

"What, no twenty questions?" he said frostily, his arms crossing tightly over his chest. "No lecture on how she could be better for me even before you've met her?"

I stared at him with wide eyes while he smirked at me. I looked away, slightly hurt, and opened the cupboard next to the mixing area where supplies were kept.

"No, Todd," I said as evenly as I could manage. I took out the box of sugar packets and stirring sticks and began refilling.

"Oh? And why not?" he asked skeptically.

"Because it's none of my business," I snapped, turning to glare at him. "We're obviously not friends anymore so it doesn't matter to me who you date, as long as you show up for your damned shift when you should."

Todd looked taken aback and his crossed arms loosened to drop down to his sides. He shoved his hands into his pockets and looked down.

"Look, about what happened…" he started but I cut him off.

"Forget it," I said quickly, returning to my task. "Being friends wasn't good enough for you so I'm not even going to bother."

"What's…what's gotten into you?" Todd asked softly.

I looked at him again; his expression looked confused and hurt and I felt my anger melt away. I rubbed my eyes wearily, groaning.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled. "I've just had a rough couple of weeks."

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked hesitantly.

I sighed and dropped my hands.

"I moved out," I told him.

"What?" Todd said incredulously, a wide grin spreading across his face. "You're kidding, right?"

"Nope, not kidding," I said; I couldn't help but smile back.

"Holy shit!" Todd crowed, laughing loudly. He leaned across the counter on his elbows and things suddenly relaxed. "How? When?"

"It all started a few weeks ago," I said happily, glad that things were feeling more normal. "But I only actually left about ten days ago."

"But how? Didn't Tess throw a hissy fit?"

"She didn't even know what hit her," I said with a laugh. "Some friends of mine helped. All I did was tell her I was gone. My stuff was already moved out so all I had to do was…leave."

I shrugged. Todd stared at me with his mouth hanging open.

"But where did you go?" he asked.

"Uh… I'm renting a place across town."

"Alone?" he asked slowly, as though he was afraid to pry after I didn't about his own personal life.

I nodded and Todd laughed again. I did my best not to let the bittersweet memory of finally getting my own place bring me down. I didn't want to get into the details of Edward, or even Charlie, so I just pretended like that was it and walked away to sweep the floor before he could ask anything more.

As the afternoon wore on, Todd and I fell back into our old ways, besides the fact that we skirted around the personal stuff. Things were more or less normal and it felt nice. After a while, Alice and Jackie showed up. They both skipped up to the counter happily and I saw Todd eyeing Alice's short skirt.

"Hey guys, what's up?" I asked cheerfully.

"Time for work, obviously," Alice chirped, gesturing to her sexy black outfit. "But I was wondering if Jackie could hang out here."

"Sure, of course," I answered and Jackie grimaced.

"I don't need a babysitter," she grumbled, crossing her arms and looking at her big sister through narrowed eyes.

"I know you don't," Alice said kindly, giving Jackie a one armed squeeze. "But it would make me feel better if you do your homework here."

"Something going on?" I asked.

"The church down the street was broken into," Alice said. "Nothing was taken but there was a lot of damage done."

"That _still_ doesn't mean I need a babysitter," Jackie whined. "Emmett will be home later anyways."

"He won't be home until midnight," Alice said sternly. "That is the same time that I get off. Now no more arguing!"

"Can I at least go over to the bar after we're done here?" Jackie wheedled.

"Alright, fine, if it's okay with Bella," Alice said after a moment's hesitation.

Jackie looked at me hopefully.

"Sure, we can go over there," I said, rolling my eyes. "Just no hard liquor tonight!"

"Don't give her any ideas," Alice stage-whispered behind her hand.

"Oh shut up," Jackie grumbled, but she looked a good deal happier as she set her things down at a table near the front counter.

"Thanks, Bella," Alice said, leaning over the counter to kiss me on the cheek. "See ya, Todd!"

Todd returned Alice's cheerful wave with a confused one of his own and I caught him staring again as she sauntered out of the shop. I raised my eyebrow at him; he cleared his throat uncomfortably and busied himself with the espresso machine.

Jackie sat and did her homework for a while, frowning the whole time. She actually had some good concentration even when it started to get busy. I made sure to keep one eye on her the whole time I was helping customers, just in case she needed help, and just as I expected, she finally threw down her pencil and buried her face in her hands.

"What's wrong, Jackie" I asked patiently.

"Biology," she said grumpily.

"Always biology," I muttered, shaking my head.

I made a couple of hot chocolates—complete with whipped cream, drizzled with chocolate syrup and sprinkled with rainbow sprinkles—and laughed as Jackie visibly perked up. As we were going over her homework, Todd ran the cash register.

We were nearly through the biology work when I heard the sound of heels. I looked up curiously as Jackie flipped through her textbook for an answer and my jaw dropped.

In walked a beautiful woman wearing tight jeans, high heels and a tight shirt under a leather jacket. She was dressed all in black, which contrasted nicely with her pale skin and freckles, and had on very little makeup—she didn't need it anyways. Her hair bounced as though she was walking into a fan, the bright red curls bouncing down her back. She walked up to the counter, looking like a runway model, and called Todd over.

"Hey, Todd," she said in a high, baby voice and Todd turned, his eyes widening slightly.

"Hey, babe," he said in a dazed voice.

"Are you coming out tonight?" she asked sweetly, fingering the collar of his shirt. She leaned over the counter, her mouth inches from Todd's.

"I-I gotta close up here," he whispered, his eyes never leaving hers.

"I thought you had help tonight," she purred, pouting a little.

"What? Oh!" Todd suddenly turned to me, looking completely surprised that I was still sitting there.

"Oh, how very rude of me!" the girl said in that same sickly sweet voice. She walked over to me, holding out a pale, slender hand. "Hi, my name is Victoria."

"Hey, I'm Bella," I said, shaking her hand; it was ice cold. "I don't mind if Todd takes off early, he's been doing a lot of the work anyway."

"Thank you so much," Victoria said with a dazzling smile. She turned again to Todd who was still standing there, staring at her as though he was looking at an angel. "Are you ready Todd?"

"Yeah, sure, I'm ready," Todd said, scrambling for his things.

Victoria wrapped a long arm around Todd's waist and led him out of the shop; he didn't even bother to say goodbye but she did. As they reached the door, Victoria gave a wicked smile over her shoulder and wiggled her fingers at me.

"Whoa," Jackie whispered.

"No kidding," I said back. "Todd never treats his girls like that, no matter how hot they are."

"Maybe he's really into her," Jackie shrugged, sipping her hot chocolate.

"Yeah, maybe," I said with a frown. Something just wasn't right but I couldn't put my finger on it.

Once Jackie and I got through her biology homework, she moved onto English, which she was better at so I was able to leave her to help the customers that were coming in. It got fairly busy for a while but I managed to close up just past nine. Jackie helped me bring in the outside tables and chairs while I put the chairs on top of the tables on the inside of the shop.

"Okay, _now_ can we go?" Jackie asked impatiently after I locked up the storage fridge.

"What's the hurry?" I asked with a laugh.

"There's a band at Jasper's tonight, duh!" she said, rolling her eyes.

"Sorry, I'm not hip with the kids," I teased.

"Ugh, you're so old school!" Jackie grumbled and I laughed again.

Jackie practically ran across the street to the bar but had to wait at the door for me. The bouncer knew who she was but insisted that an adult walk her in. He didn't even check my I.D., apparently guessing I was old enough—it wasn't the same guy as before—and waved us in. Jackie squealed and pushed her way in.

The place was so packed that it was hard to make it to the bar where Alice was swamped. She gave me a quick smile when I waved at her and gestured for me to come behind the bar. I followed Jackie to the other side, trying to stay out of the way as Alice went rushing past me with a tray of drinks. As she passed, she shoved a Mike's Hard Lemonade into my hand. I looked down at it, bemused, but decided to just take it. I'd be twenty one in a couple weeks anyways, so why not?

The drink was cold and tart and didn't taste nearly as bitter as the hard stuff I had drank before. I was careful not to drink it too fast, though.

The band started not long after I got there and Jackie shoved her way into the crowd surrounding them. Because Alice was busy, I did my best to keep an eye on her. It was hard—she was so small that she got lost easily but she did a lot of bouncing to the music, her long hair flying everywhere, giving me a quick glimpse of her every few moments.

There was a break in the chaos at the bar as everyone listened to the band's opening song and Alice came over to me, fanning herself with one hand.

"Whew, it's getting hot!" she shouted over the music. "Did you like your drink?"

"I did, thanks," I yelled back at her, gesturing with my nearly empty drink.

"I watched you that last time you were here and you got a little loopy off the tough stuff," Alice said with a wink.

Alice and I bobbed our head to the music, cheering when the song was over. The band barely paused before starting up again, the loud grunge music practically shaking the entire bar.

I was draining the last of my drink when the bar door opened; I nearly choked on the lemonade as a familiar face walked in.

"Uh, Alice." I nudged her frantically, not taking my eyes off Edward as he walked in, looking around curiously. He started to turn my way and I felt my heart beating wildly against my ribs; one of the other patrons caught his attention and I gave a sigh of relief.

"What is it?" she asked but then she saw him. Her eyes widened.

"I'm not ready," I said desperately.

"Go, go!" Alice urged, handing me my purse and shoving me away.

I managed to slip out past Emmett and his pretty blonde girlfriend and ran out to my car, not looking back until I reached it.

The cool night air felt freezing compared to the stuffy, crowded bar but I welcomed it, tilting my head back and breathing in the wet air. I didn't realize that I was sweating, both because of all the bodies packed into the small bar and because of my sudden encounter with Edward; I let the light mist wash my face clean. After a few more deep breaths, I was ready to head home.

I still had a hard time entering my quiet apartment and scared myself with harmless shadows whenever I came home to the dark. After a while, I started making sure to keep a lamp on whenever I knew I'd be home late.

My keys clattered noisily as I threw them onto the counter on my way to the fridge. I pulled out a cold bottle of water and gulped it down, wiping my mouth on the back of my hand. The only thing I could hear now was the rain picking up against the dark window.

I don't know why it caught me so off guard to see Edward. In such a small town, it was inevitable that I'd end up seeing him, ready or not. And why I wasn't ready, I don't know either. I had wanted him to come after me anyway so why hadn't I just stayed there, pretending I didn't notice him, so that he'd come to me?

Deep down, maybe I was scared that he wouldn't have…

I buried my face in my hands, groaning loudly. Maybe I should just give up. Clearly I was still a coward.

My head snapped up at the sound of someone knocking on my door. At first I thought maybe it was him after all, but that thought was quickly dashed—he didn't know where I lived. My heart quieted slightly, figuring it was just Alice or Jackie.

Whoever it was knocked again, more impatiently. I quickly strode over to the door and opened it with a sigh that turned into a gasp as I saw who was there.

It was Edward. His disheveled hair was dripping slightly and he was breathing fast, as though he had run up the stairs. His eyes were wild, his eyebrows pulled together over the green irises I had missed so much.

"How… how did you find me?" I asked in a quiet voice, glancing down the hall to see if maybe Alice was hiding around the corner.

"I followed you," he admitted. "I saw you run out. Actually… I could smell you. Whenever it gets wet out, the smell of your shampoo is stronger."

Edward chuckled quietly and I blushed, looking down at my feet. We were silent for a few moments, both of us waiting for the other to speak first. I bit my lip to keep myself from saying anything.

"Bella," he finally said, breathlessly. I couldn't do anything more than stare at the floor. "Bella, I'm sorry."

"F-for what?" I whispered.

"For not coming after you sooner," he said urgently, holding his hands out to me as though pleading. "I did try though, please believe me… But you were already gone."

"Oh," I said blankly, curious if it was true.

"I promise, I did try," Edward said, seeming to read my thoughts. "When I didn't find you, I was worried you had moved on."

"I didn't," I breathed, still keeping my eyes down. "I still haven't."

"I was hoping you'd say that," Edward said happily and I looked up to see him grinning at me.

Suddenly, he swept me up in his arms and started kissing me fiercely. I instantly melted, kissing him back with all the strength that I possessed. Every few seconds we broke apart, me gasping for air and him apologizing over and over again.

"I was stupid, I never should have let you go… please forgive me… I'm so sorry… I was a fucking idiot that night… You were right about everything…"

I didn't say anything but dragged him into my apartment. He kicked the door shut and we stumbled towards my small couch. It wasn't big enough for him to stretch out on but he lowered me onto it anyway, kneeling over me, his hands stroking my face, my arms, down my sides…

My hands did the same, exploring every inch of him that I could touch. He was still wearing his EMT uniform and when my fingers encountered the topmost button of his shirt, I took advantage of the easy access and undid the buttons with fumbling hands. Without ungluing our lips, I slid the fabric off his shoulders and felt along his chest, my fingers tracing the contours of his muscles. I moaned involuntarily and heard a groan deep in his chest.

I hitched my leg up around his hips and his hand trailed down my thigh, causing my muscles to clench in response. He pushed against me and I felt something hard press into my center, making me tingle. I instinctively bucked back and he groaned again.

"Bella, wait," he said suddenly, sitting back and frowning. We were both panting heavily and we both knew exactly where this was headed.

"I want to," I said breathlessly.

"You want to…" Edward said slowly, his frown deepening.

"Yes," I said firmly, ignoring the frantic butterflies in my stomach. The tingling sensation grew slightly and I stared intensely into his eyes.

"But, do you have a… a rubber?" he asked quietly.

I paused, our breathing slowing in the silence. I didn't want to wait anymore, though I knew it was stupid to be so reckless. But I was tired of being careful, tired of being the good girl. I wanted him, here and now, and I was going to get what I wanted. I took a deep breath and answered him as strongly as I could.

"I don't care," I said in a loud, clear voice.

Edward let go of my leg and backed away a few more inches. I stared him down, determined not to give up.

"But, Bella…" he said in a pained voice. "What if… what if you… or if I…"

He trailed off hopelessly, looking over my head at a spot on the far wall.

"Edward, I love you," I blurted out and he looked back down at me in surprise. "And that's not ever going to change. Whatever happens… happens."

He was still and quiet for another few seconds and then his face split into a smile and he lunged forward again, burying his face in my neck.

"Oh fuck it, I love you too," he said in a muffled voice, kissing down my neck and across my collarbone, causing goosebumps to ripple across my skin.

I threw my legs around his waist, giggling as he did exactly what I wanted and lifted me bodily from the couch, our arms locked around each other. His stubbled chin scratched my cheeks as he carried me to the bedroom but he seemed determined not to let his lips leave my skin.

Once in the bedroom, he lowered me onto the bed as he had done with the couch. I put my hands on either side of his face and he reluctantly lifted his head. His eyes were wary; I smiled in encouragement, crossing my arms across my stomach and gripping the bottom of my shirt. I pulled it off and let my arms lie above my head as Edward stared almost hungrily at my breasts. His fingers slowly crept up my stomach, making me shiver, and hovered above the clasp that was thankfully on the front of my bra. His eyes flickered up to mine and I nodded.

He pinched the metal piece and released me. I didn't take my eyes off of his as they roved my upper body. I felt his hand creep up my side and cup one breast, gently squeezing. I closed my eyes and moaned quietly.

Edward's lips crashed down onto mine, his hand never leaving my breast, massaging gently. His tongue traced my lips before darting inside. I tried to concentrate but my mind wandered as I felt his free hand struggling with the belt around my jeans. I reached down and undid them, shimmying them down my legs as he did the same with his own pants.

He sat back again and we both looked down at our nearly naked bodies. There was a huge bulge in his boxers that nearly touched where my underwear covered where I was feeling the most hot and tingly.

"You know, those will have to come off," he said with a smirk and I laughed shakily. "But we can always stop now," he added more seriously.

"No, we can't," I said, taking a deep breath and removing my underwear.

He slowly looked down and growled, his hand finally leaving my breast to trace down to my butt. He gripped it lightly and then squeezed tighter as I impatiently reached down and removed his boxers.

He looked even bigger and longer than he had felt and I gasped, instantly mesmerized by the way it seemed to move with a mind of its own. I lowered my legs, my breathing getting slightly erratic. I suddenly realized I had no idea where to go from here; again, sensing my thoughts, Edward took over.

"Want me to touch you first?" he whispered. I nodded, closing my eyes so as to concentrate on what I knew was coming next.

He propped himself up on one hand and moved the other that was squeezing my butt. It snaked around to my front, fingers dancing across my quivering body. I felt his thumb press into my pelvis and slide down, pausing at the crease to the opening before plunging in.

I gasped loudly, my head tilting back, exposing my neck. His thumb worked in slow, small circles on that sweet spot and it felt even better than the last time he had done it. His lips found my neck again and he bit down gently, making me shiver and writhe beneath his hand.

"Can I go in now?" he whispered, panting slightly.

"Yes," I gasped, trying to focus only on the good feeling and not the nervous one, but both tingling feelings were melding together.

The pressure of his hand against the bed lifted and after a few long moments, I felt something pressing gently against the spot just below where his thumb was still working in an even motion. I gasped again and lifted my legs higher, wrapping them around him again. He took this as good sign and pressed harder, backed off, and then pressed again, harder this time but still not entering

"Just do it, please," I panted, my eyes flying open. He was staring intently at my face, gauging my reaction. Something there seemed to reassure him and he pushed forward, entering me so quickly I nearly cried out.

He filled me completely and paused before sliding out slowly, never fully pulling out. I gasped frantically as he repeated the motion. It was even better than I had imagined. There wasn't a part of me that wasn't on fire and wasn't shaking. I moaned as I felt his body press into mine; I gripped his shoulders, nearly clawed them, wanting him closer. He took the hint and ran his hands up my stomach, lingering at my breasts before wrapping tightly around my body.

He moved faster and I moved with him, my legs tightening with each thrust. I could feel him pulsing inside me the closer I got to finishing and judging by the growling in his chest I was sure he was nearly there too but I couldn't bring myself to tell him to stop before he got there.

A shiver ran up my spine and I felt myself clench around him. The feeling was almost unbearable—I was so close that my stomach fluttered and quivered. Our panting grew faster, mine higher-pitched, as I could feel myself reaching that point. We moved faster, the fire growing until I was there.

My body felt weightless, almost non-existent, at the same time that my lower body was screaming in ecstasy and I cried out, my nails digging into his back, my body curling into his. His arms were still tight around my body, his hands gripping me fiercely. He slowed his movements and I felt something warm filling my insides as the rest of my body felt cold, my fingers and toes almost completely numb.

Still throbbing inside of me, Edward stilled, collapsing on top of me. I lowered my legs and stroked my hands up and down his back, trying to calm both of our breathing. After a few minutes, Edward pulled out of me, making me twitch a little, and lied down next to me, his arms still around me.

When he didn't say anything at first, I felt a little uneasy; when the silence lengthened, I started to panic. That panic evaporated when he leaned over and kissed my cheek, sighing quietly.

"I do love you, Bella," he whispered. "So fucking much."

I giggled, loving his inability to filter his mouth at a time like this.

"I love you too, Edward," I sighed, running a hand through his tangled hair. I was starting to drift off, my entire body spent, but in a good way. Edward's breathing deepened and I closed my eyes, allowing myself to fall asleep in the warm comfort of the arms that I had missed deeply.

* * *

**::Edward::**

I sighed, watching Bella's chest gently rise and fall with each breath she took. She was even more beautiful asleep and I fucking loved watching her dream. I brushed a lock of hair off her cheek, smiling like an idiot as her face moved into my hand.

I had purposely pretended to fall asleep so that I could watch her. I was dead tired but I had missed this so much that I couldn't help but lie there for hours, watching her eyelids flutter with dreams I wished I could share with her, to see her body so relaxed and content next to mine. No fucking way I could keep away from this shit anymore. I had fallen for her and was never going to screw that up again.

For the third time, I heard her cell ringing. I looked up at the alarm clock glowing green on the bedside table. It was just past one and it was probably Alice calling to talk girl shit or something after closing up the bar.

Bella stirred beside me, mumbling in her sleep. I didn't want to let her go to turn off the phone but I didn't want it to wake her up.

"Shh, it's okay baby," I said soothingly, stroking her cheeks softly.

"My phone is ringing," she grumbled, running a hand down her face. I caught it in mine and kissed it gently as her eyes opened a crack. "Get it for me?"

I rolled my eyes, kissed her hand again, and sat up. I groped around on the dark floor for a moment, finally finding her jeans. I smirked at the memory of when she took them off, looking so fucking sexy the way she just wiggled right out of them. My dick twitched slightly at the thought.

I pulled out the glowing phone and politely handed it over. Bella rubbed her eyes and flipped it open, frowning at the other missed calls. She cocked an eyebrow at me but I just shrugged.

"There's a voicemail," she said with a huge yawn, punching in the buttons to listen to the message.

The longer she listened, the wider awake she seemed to become and the more worried her expression. Her breath quickened; I waited impatiently for her to tell me what was going on. Suddenly, she sat up quickly, brushing her hair away impatiently as it flew into her face, and started dialing.

"Bella, what the fuck is going on?" I demanded, sitting up with her.

"Jackie is missing," she said shortly, making my stomach drop.

* * *

**Well... I hope I delivered in this chapter! I did my best but unfortunately, the hot stuff isn't what I'm best at lol. Let me know what you think. Sorry for the twist at the end but I promise you, I have a plan! Oh and I have a somewhat anonymous Twitter account set up so if you'd like to keep up with me, sent me a message with yours name! **


	13. Chapter 12: Taken

**So, as I said before, Harry Potter just came out and I already saw it five times! I'm crazy, I know, but my HP craze is slowly dwindling down to make way for Twilight! I found copies of the two scenes shown at Comic-Con and all I can say is WOW! Can't wait for November! And, another crazy moment, I came up with two more FF ideas. When will my brain stop coming up with new storylines that I shouldn't focus on right now so that I can come up with the end for this one? Maybe I'm just too creative for my own good… Well, here's chapter 12 and remember—I don't own anything! **

* * *

Chapter 12: Taken

**::Edward::**

"Oh geez, the sun is coming up," Jasper whispered next to me, running his hands over his face wearily.

"Where could she be?" I groaned for the millionth time, leaning my head back against the couch, closing my eyes.

"Actually…" Jasper started. We both looked down at Alice and Bella who were curled up next to us, their heads resting on our laps. They were both clearly fast asleep so he continued in a quieter voice. "I'm worried that someone…took her."

"I was thinking the same damn thing," I sighed, stroking Bella's hair gently. My biggest fear was someone hurting or taking my girls away from me. Alice and Jackie were like sisters to me and Bella… I couldn't even fucking stand the thought.

"There was a lot of people at the bar last night," Jasper said, shaking his head. "I don't know why Alice let Jackie come."

"You know her," I said with a frown. "She just can't say no to her sometimes."

"Well, she should have this time," he said angrily. "It's one thing if you or Emmett are there to keep an eye on her, but to just send her off into the mosh pit without a care…"

"I know, I know," I said bracingly.

I didn't even need to tell Jasper not to mention any of this to Alice; she was so torn up already, no need to add to her guilt.

Once Bella got a hold of Alice, we raced over to her house to find her pacing the yard, her face red and blotchy. The moment she saw us, she burst into tears and threw herself at me. I couldn't understand a word she said and she refused to go inside to talk—she wanted to stay out on the porch to wait for Jackie—so Bella went inside to make tea.

Once we got Alice to calm down, she told us, between hiccups and sips of tea, about how the band had finished right on time and she had announced to the room that they were only serving one more round of drinks. Emmett helped the bouncer see everyone out and then helped Alice and Jasper clean up. It wasn't until they were nearly done that they realized that Jackie wasn't there. Emmett went outside to look for her, thinking maybe she was chatting with friends. When he didn't find her, Alice slipped upstairs to see if she was there, already asleep. After they tried calling her cell a few times and didn't get an answer, they knew something was wrong.

Right about then is when Alice dissolved into tears again. Bella put an arm around her but I could only sit there in a daze, no fucking clue what to do. Jasper came over soon after checking in with all of Jackie's friends and told us that Emmett was going to stay at the bar for a couple more hours, just in case she came back there.

It took some convincing to get Alice to come inside but once it started raining around two thirty in the morning, she gave in. She and Bella fell asleep about an hour later but Jasper and I were determined to stay awake for them.

"Have you heard from Emmett?" I asked after a few minutes.

"Yeah, he's on his way back," Jasper said with a yawn.

I could feel myself nodding off again and shook my head, blinking my eyes rapidly. Jasper yawned again, and that didn't help any, just made me yawn too.

"Cut that shit out," I mumbled, yawning widely; Jasper just chuckled sleepily.

The doorknob rattled and Jasper and I were instantly wide awake, but it was only Emmett. We both slumped back down as Emmett shuffled in, yawning and clutching a cup of coffee.

"No sign of her," he said quietly, flopping down into an empty armchair; Jasper and I groaned.

"Where the fuck is she?" I growled, burying my face in my hands.

I felt movement on my lap and looked down to see Bella stirring. I made shushing sounds and rubbed her back, trying to get her back to sleep but she sat up anyways and looked around blearily.

"What time is it?" she mumbled.

"Somewhere around six," I whispered, still rubbing her back. "Just go back to sleep, baby."

"I can't, I have to open at work today," she yawned. She looked around the room. "Still no word?"

"Nothing," Emmett said, taking a gulp of coffee. "I stayed at the bar all night, wandering the neighborhood every hour to see if she was…somewhere…"

Bella winced and I could guess what she was thinking: Emmett was looking to see if Jackie was hurt somewhere in the alleys.

"What do we do now?" Bella asked, looking from Emmett to Jasper to me. "Call the cops?"

"I tried and they just said to wait," Emmett snorted. "And then some shit about not being able to file a missing person report for twenty four hours."

"That's bullshit!" Bella spat; she turned to Emmett with wide eyes. "She's still a child! That makes no sense!"

"It was one of Jake's buddies," Emmett rolled his eyes. "He said she's a teenager, she's probably just out getting smashed and she'll come home eventually."

"But that's just…" I trailed off, shaking my head, at a loss of words.

"I know," Emmett said simply.

There was a soft knock on the door that somehow woke up Alice. She shot up so fast that she nearly hit Jasper in the face with her head. She looked around wildly, her short black hair sticking up in all directions.

"What's going on?" she asked, staring around the room.

"Just someone at the door," Jasper said soothingly, putting his arms around Alice who sank back into him, tears leaking out of her eyes once more.

Emmett got up to answer, setting his coffee on the floor by his chair as he went. He opened the door and instantly stiffened, crossing his arms across his chest and blocking everyone's view of the visitor.

"What the hell do you want?" he said menacingly.

"To help," the person said in a pleading voice; I recognized it immediately.

"Jacob? What are you doing here?" Bella asked quietly.

Emmett stepped aside and Jacob came in, already dressed in his uniform. He took off his police issued hat as he walked in.

"I told you, I want to help," he said and he actually sounded genuine—not that I really trusted the jackass. "I have some possible leads on Jackie."

Every one of us jumped to our feet and stared at Jacob.

"You better not be fucking with us, Jake," I growled, my hands balling into fists.

"No, I'm not, I swear," he said, holding up his hands, palms out. He turned to Bella. "Remember that day I pulled Todd off of you?"

Bella nodded her head slowly.

"Well, I looked into his background and—"

"Jake, he's clean, there's nothing there," Bella interrupted angrily, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow. "And what does this have to do with Jackie?"

I tried to hide my smile but I loved how assertive she was being—as always, it was damn sexy to see her standing up to him.

"I'm getting to that!" Jake insisted. "But he did get caught for something. Just before that incident, he was arrested for drunk in public with some chick named Sarah. Did you ever hear of her?"

"Yeah, they dated for a bit, but now he's dating—"

"Victoria," Jacob finished for her. When we all, Bella included, looked at him blankly, he elaborated. "Victoria and her cousin Sarah are wanted for all kinds of things—grand theft, attempted burglary, assault—over in Florida, where they're originally from. They've been skipping around the states, wreaking havoc, and sometimes getting others involved. Thing is, if the person doesn't want to join or decides to ditch them, they disappear before they can get caught."

The room was utterly silent. Alice was the one to break it, speaking in a voice barely more than a whisper.

"I still don't understand," she said.

"One of the guys I work with was at the bar last night," Jacob continued, speaking a bit faster than before. "He said he saw Victoria there most of the night and just before closing time, Sarah came in. He thought they looked familiar and had heard rumors about them, so he tried to keep an eye out. They didn't cause any problems, so he just let it go.

"Before going home after the bar, he stopped by the office to look up a few things on them, to see if he needed to pursue. He told me that they're last charge…" Jacob paused, seeming to struggle with what he was trying to say. "Was attempted kidnapping."

It felt like someone punched me in the gut. I let out a gust of air but couldn't seem to bring anymore in. Jake looked at us in an apologetic way, spinning his hat in his hands nervously. Emmett swore loudly and slumped back into the armchair, his face covered in his hands. I heard a small squeak and turned to Alice. She was swaying on the spot, her eyes glazed over, and her face pale. Jasper quickly put his arms around her and lowered her onto the couch, where she sat with her hands lying limply in her lap, breathing fast.

Bella turned to me, her wide eyes swimming with tears.

"Edward," she whispered, her expression desperate. It was clear that she cared about Jackie just as much as any of us, despite the length of time she had known her.

"Alright, what do we need to do?" I asked in a commanding voice; someone had to take over.

"I have a few things on them—the car they're driving, where they are seen most—the simple shit," Jacob said, instantly transforming into cop-mode. He took out a small spiral notebook and flipped it open. "What I need from Bella is a clear description of the girls and the last time you saw them, either of them—"

"Last night!" Bella exclaimed. Jake and I looked at her in surprise. "It was the red-head, Victoria! She came in for Todd, just before we closed."

"Did either of them say where they were going?" Jake asked, scribbling furiously.

"No, but I know that Todd usually goes to a lot of bars," Bella said, sounding uncertain. "I know he drinks… I could only assume…"

She trailed off hopelessly, looking up at me. I smiled in encouragement.

"Okay, good," Jake said, closing his notebook and looking at Bella seriously. "Do you work today? Does Todd?"

"Well, I do, but I'm not sure about him," she said with a grimace.

"Do you feel safe going to work today?" Jake asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Shit, good point," I said; Bella looked at me in confusion so I asked her, "Wasn't Jackie at work with you last night?"

Bella's eyes got wider and she gasped, covering her mouth with a shaking hand.

"Yes!" she cried. "And Victoria… She gave me this weird look on her way out…"

"What kind of look?" I demanded.

"She smiled at me," Bella said slowly. "Or rather… leered at me, I suppose."

I groaned and ran my hands through my hair. I could see where this was headed and I did not like it one damn bit.

"You're not fucking going," I said simply, shrugging my shoulders.

"But Edward, I can't just skip work," Bella snapped.

"The fuck you can!" I spat at her. Her eyes widened in alarm. I sighed and spoke more softly. "Bella, I can't let you go. I don't want anything to happen to you. And if that bitch looked at you like that, I just… I can't."

Her eyes started watering again and she bit down on her lower lip, chewing nervously. I brushed my hand down her arm, grabbing her hand when I reached it. I held it tightly, gazing into those deep brown eyes that I loved so much.

"Just let me call my boss," she said quietly, her voice quavering. "I'll tell her I'm having a family emergency."

"Thank you, baby," I sighed, enveloping her in a tight hug. I kissed the top of her head before I let go.

"I just need to run by my house, get a change of clothes," she sniffed, wiping her eyes. I ran a finger down her cheek and tugged her chin up.

"Quickly?" I asked, pulling up the corner of my mouth. She gave me a watery smile and nodded.

"Uh, Edward?" Jasper called. "I could use your help over here."

I gave Bella a quick kiss on the mouth and hurried over to Jasper.

Alice was sitting absolutely still; I couldn't even tell if she was breathing or not. Her eyes were still looking straight ahead, not focusing on anything in particular. Jasper was kneeling next to her, trying to get her attention but she wasn't listening.

"Alice?" I said, crouching down on the other side of her. "Alice, look at me."

She didn't react in any way so I firmly grabbed her face with both hands and turned her to look at me. Her eyes were still glazed over.

"Alice!" I said loudly. "You need to stay strong. For Jackie."

Her sister's name seemed to snap her out of her trance. Her dark eyes darted down to look into mine and I could see the determination forming in them. She pressed her lips together in a tight line. She nodded once and turned to Jasper.

"I'm going to go take a shower," she said in a slightly shaky voice.

Alice stood and walked stiffly to the bathroom. Jasper and I sunk down on the floor, our backs against the couch, and both let out a long breath.

"Shit, I think I'd rather take her crying over being a zombie like that," Jasper whispered, shaking his head.

"Same here," I agreed.

I looked around and saw that Jake and Bella were gone. Hopefully, that asshole would be smart enough to follow Bella home. I didn't really count on it and sure enough, moments later, he walked in the door. I jumped to my feet.

"Why the fuck didn't you follow her home?" I demanded, stepping towards him.

"She wouldn't let me," Jake snapped, jamming his hat back on his head.

"You should have anyways, you dipshit!" I yelled incredulously.

Jacob stared at me blankly.

"You care about her that much?" he said slowly, disbelievingly.

"No, fucker, I love her!" I shouted and then stopped short. I hadn't meant to say it and apparently Jacob hadn't expected me to either. We both stared at each other with our eyes wide and our mouths hanging open. I looked around and even Emmett had uncovered his face to gawk at me.

"But… you never…" he said quietly.

"Are you serious?" Jacob spat out, his eyes narrowing.

"Yeah, I am," I said slowly but as I said it, I was more convinced of myself. I stood a bit straighter and crossed my arms, quirking my eyebrow at Jacob, threatening him to challenge me.

"I don't get you, man," he said with a shake of his head. "You've changed over the years."

"And you haven't," I shot back at him. "But you need to. It's time to grow up, Jake. For everyone's sakes."

Jacob looked like he was about to say something but he snapped his mouth shut and turned to Emmett for help. Emmett glared at him, his arms crossed like mine. Jacob sensed defeat; his shoulders slumped and he sighed.

"I'm going down to the station," he said in a low voice. "I'm going to dig up all the shit I can on these chicks."

"Thanks," I said shortly and Emmett nodded. Jake nodded once and left quickly.

I swore under my breath and pulled out my cell. I brought up Bella's number and pressed the call button. I wasn't that worried until it rang half a dozen times without an answer. It went to voicemail so I hung up and tried again, hoping maybe she just didn't get to it in time. It rang twice but she didn't answer right away.

"Bella?" I said into the receiver; I could hear light breathing on the other end. "Bella, are you okay?"

I heard a quiet giggle and then a new voice spoke.

"Gotcha," said a high girly voice before giggling again and hanging up.

I stared at the phone in horror, my worst fear confirmed: Bella was in danger again.

* * *

**::Bella::**

I was surprised that I actually managed to fall asleep but I was exhausted. I took solace in the fact that I could feel myself physically touching two of the most important people in my life right now—my head resting on Edward's lap and my feet touching Alice's where she was curled up next to me. It felt like seconds later that I was woken up, though, as my internal clock chimed. I didn't want to get up but I had work.

The air in the room felt more desperate than when I had fallen asleep. Emmett being there with no news made things feel worse. And then came the odd surprise of Jacob wanting to help. It actually gave me some relief but not much.

I didn't want to leave, so I was actually glad that Edward insisted that I stay with them, but I knew I'd feel a bit better if I changed my clothes. As I made my way out the door with Edward behind me trying to console Alice, I could sense someone walking behind me.

"Bella, wait," Jacob called.

"What is it, Jake?" I snapped without stopping.

"I need to talk to you," he said, reaching out and grabbing my arm. He spun me around and didn't let go.

"I have nothing to say to you," I growled, trying to wrench my arm out of his grip. "I still haven't forgotten what happened at your apartment."

"I want to talk to you about…" he said quickly, glancing back at the house over his shoulder. "About what you're getting yourself into."

"I get it, you want me to pick you over Edward," I said icily. "Fat chance."

"You haven't heard the _reason_ why I think so," he said through his teeth, gripping my arm tighter. "Has he even told you about his past relationships?"

"That's the past," I winced, the pain in my arm growing.

"Did he tell you he was engaged once?" Jacob said with a wry smile.

"What?" I said blankly.

"Yeah," Jacob said shortly, letting go of my arm now that he had my attention. "He was engaged to my cousin."

"Yeah, and?" I said, trying to keep the curiosity out of my voice but he could still hear it and smirked at me.

"They got as far as planning out everything—and I mean everything, the church, the dresses, the flowers, the guests," he said, counting them off on his fingers. "But just a few days before the wedding, he got cold feet. He came to me and I tried to talk to him about it but all he could say was that he felt like he was making a mistake. And then he said it—that he didn't even love her."

"So it wasn't the right time to get married," I said, throwing my arms up. "Big deal, it happens. I'm sure your cousin got over it."

"But that's not it," Jacob said, closing his eyes. He heaved a deep sigh and opened his eyes again. "He admitted to trying before. He said he'd been engaged three other times but that he didn't love any of them. After that, he disappeared for a while. When I talked to my cousin, she told me that he was so protective, that he was always saying he never wanted anything to happen to her. He couldn't even stand being away from her for a night...

"So, Bella, please tell me this," he continued desperately. "Has he ever said anything like that to you?"

I crossed my arms and tried to keep my face impassive. Jacob kept his eyes locked on mine, not giving up, and I started to squirm. I didn't have to confirm what he was asking of me. My discomfort made it obvious that yes, Edward had said something similar to me. Jacob grimaced and shook his head, breathing through his noise angrily.

"Right now, I couldn't give a shit if you didn't take me," he said, his voice shaking with anger. "But please… don't choose him."

"I have to go," I said shortly and turned away, marching towards my car.

"At least let me follow you there," Jacob called after me.

"If you know what's good for you, you won't!" I shouted back. I unlocked my car and got in without looking back.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before starting my car and pulling away as fast as I could.

My brain just couldn't process what I had just heard. The one thing that kept repeating itself over and over again, though, was that Jacob said that Edward hadn't even told any of those other women that he loved them. I was allowing myself to get closer to Edward than I ever had with anyone else. My guard was completely down around him, I trusted him with my life, but if he was like this with all those other girls, then what made me different?

My head ached from the lack of sleep and the bombardment of information. I was so distracted that I nearly ran a stop sign. I gasped and screeched to a halt. I closed my eyes, rubbing them with both hands, and then looked both ways. It was clear so I slowly pulled forward.

Out of nowhere, a car came screaming to a halt in front of me. I turned the steering wheel as hard as I could to avoid hitting the side of the shiny blue car, slamming on the breaks again. My head whipped forward and back, hitting the headrest hard.

Rubbing the back of my head, I looked up at the very familiar looking car. It was a convertible with dark tinted windows.

"Bridgette?" I whispered in confusion, climbing out.

Just as I reached the door, it flew open and Bridgette stepped out, smiling radiantly at me. I stopped, my brow furrowing. She didn't seem upset at all about our near accident. In fact, she looked ecstatic to see me.

"Wow, Bridgette, are you okay?" I asked and her smile grew.

"Oh, I'm perfect," she said in a low voice as the back doors of her car opened.

My eyes widened as out stepped Sarah and Victoria. I took an unsteady step backwards as they slowly sauntered over to me. I looked down at Victoria's slender hands gripping a bottle of some sort of chemical and a small folded towel. My eyes darted to Sarah as she came around from the other side of the car. In her hands she carried a length of rope

I didn't even bother jumping back in the car. I turned and bolted, tripping after only a few steps but managing to catch myself just before I hit the ground. I could hear three sets of feet slapping against the asphalt behind me, quickly catching up.

Alice's house was just out of sight but I could still see Edward's EMT van that he had driven there parked on the street. If only I could get within sight of the house, I'd be okay.

Suddenly, something wrapped around my ankles. I fell spectacularly, my face and hands hitting the pavement, instantly getting scraped and bloody. I twisted around to see my feet tangled in the rope that Sarah had been clutching. I reached down to free myself but I wasn't quick enough.

Bridgette caught up first and threw herself onto the ground, grabbing my hands and tying them to my ankles. I pulled and struggled against the bonds; Bridgette laughed and slapped me hard across the face, making me fall back to the ground with my cheek stinging.

"That's for stealing my man," she said viciously.

"Good throw, Sarah," Victoria said appreciatively, looming over me. "Hey, there. Remember me?"

Before I had time to even draw in a breath, she pressed the cloth over my mouth and nose. It was damp and smelled wrong. I tried to hold my breath as I thrashed around on the ground but that only made her press harder. Soon, the need to breathe was too much; the chemical made me cough and made my head instantly cloudy.

As my vision started to fade, I realized I should have let Jacob follow me to safely. He really did only have my best interests at heart.

"Sweet dreams," Sarah said in a mocking voice just before everything went black.

* * *

***Ducks from flying objects* Please don't hurt me! I know, I know, poor Bella just can't seem to catch a break anymore. But don't worry- I got plenty stashed away in that crazy head of mine! Oh and never forget… reviews are always welcome! **


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